


The road to Hell (is paved with good intentions)

by Luciusnguyen



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Peter Hale, BAMF Danny Mahealani, BAMF Lydia Martin, BAMF Peter Hale, BAMF Stiles, Blood and Gore, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Character Death, Daddy Kink, Danny Mahealani & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, F/M, Full Shift Werewolves, Good Peter Hale, John is Sheriff's name, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Nogitsune is a Familiar, Nogitsune named Itachi, Slow Burn, Stiles Stilinski & Jackson Whittemore Friendship, Stiles Stilinski Has Panic Attacks, Top Peter Hale, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, Warlock Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 50,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24790747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luciusnguyen/pseuds/Luciusnguyen
Summary: Stiles almost dies after being kidnapped and tortured for hours by Gerard and his minions. Due to Stiles declined to tell Gerard anything about the pack, Gerard decided to get rid of him. They dumped him in the middle of the preserve with several knives stabbed in his body so that he could be a message to the pack.Hopeless holding on for his life while bleeding out, the spark inside Stiles awake and calling for the Nemeton + Nogitsune to siphon the magic of those two for healing himselfAfter that, all hell broke loose...----------------------WARNING!1. Kudos for Littleredridinghunter for inspiring me this fiction2. English is not my first language and I'm Asian so I don't know anything about high school in the USA. So, please forgive me if there is any mistake or wrong information!3. Apparently, my homo gay ass might have some Daddy kink and Peter Hale is just too yummy to not write about him. Therefore, STETER! God save my soul!4. Kind of Fix-it story because for God's sake! Writers of TW sucked!!!5. This is an un-beta story so if there's any mistake, please let me know! ^^
Relationships: Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Ethan/Danny Mahealani, Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Melissa McCall/Sheriff Stilinski, Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski & Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 96
Kudos: 480





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Can't rely on me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9789413) by [Littleredridinghunter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littleredridinghunter/pseuds/Littleredridinghunter). 



Stiles doesn't know how much time has passed, all he could think of at the moment was the agony run inside his body. God, it hurts so much that he couldn't think straight. Somewhere in the basement, Stiles heard the whines and growls of Erica and Boyd after another punch by Gerard right into his face caused him to lie immobility on the cold floor. For the moment, Stiles thinks he blacked out and then be awaken by the buck of cold water. 

**Gerard** : Oh, Stiles...It has been fun but it's also getting exhausted. Your last chance! Tell me somethings about those dogs of yours or I will put an end to your miserable life!

A sickly sweet voice rang through his ears while two firm hands of Gerard's minions hold him up into a straight-kneeling position. Open his eyes, Stiles gives a glance to Erica and Boyd. Even though they're snarling, growling with all the baring teeth while hanging on the cellar and being electricity at the same time, Stiles still could see the horror in their eyes. They are scared, being horrified for his life, for their lives and the pack...

In this very moment, Stiles wants nothing more than to spit out some retorts but the beating's getting into him, weakness soaked into his bone, so he spits out the blood toward Gerard's face instead. 

**Stiles** : Go...fuck...yourself! 

That's got him a punch to his stomach made him squirm with agony. 

**Gerard** : Oh...Stiles! It appeared to me that you won't say anything! And I have no time for your stupid loyalty to those monsters. No one's gonna save you, Stiles. Seem like you had been abandoned. So...I think, instead of making you tell us about your dogs, you will be our message to them!

Turning to the minions of his, Gerard spits out the command

**Gerard** : Get rid of him! 

Antonio, Paul - two of Gerard's minions, hover over Stiles, grab his hand and drag him out of the basement right in front of the horrified faces from Erica and Boyd. 

With all of his wills, Stiles raises his face and stare at Erica and Boyd. Unable to talk or to do anything, Stiles could only send his condolences to them. This is it! This is gonna be how they all die tonight. There'll be no tomorrow for them to see another sunlight and all they could do is brave their soul for the road to Hell. 

Seemly understand the meaning in Stiles's eyes, tears rolled out Erica's cheeks and the sorrow fulfill Boyd's face

\----------------------------------

Being dragged out of the basement under the Argent's house and tucked inside the SUV black car, Stiles immobility lay in the backseat. Those last words of Gerard echoing inside his brain. It shot right through his heart and even though trying the best he could, Stiles still could not keep himself from wonder...whether he has been abandoned or not...

Because let's just faced it...He's been kidnapped and tortured for hours and no one's looking for him! He could be killed at this very moment and no one would know because you know...no one's searching...

Suddenly, the realization hits him so hard that he couldn't breathe! Antony? Pauly? What the hell name they have, are gonna kill him right now, and he could not do anything at all! And his dad, oh God! His dad, what could he feel when he found out there'll a body in the wood that'll be his son! 

Stiles could not do this to his dad, he just could not do it! After everything that they went through, after the loss of their beloved one - his mom, after all the lies he tells through his teeth to his dad's face. Stiles couldn't bring his dad to face another tragedy by losing his only son. With those thoughts in his mind, Stiles struggles to stand up, to escape, only to be stopped by another punch to his face that knocks him into the blackness 

\----------------------------------

The slammed sound of the car's door combined with the pain when one of Gerard's minions grabs Stiles's clothes to drag him out, wake Stiles up and out of the blackout earlier. Stiles realizes that they are now near the preserve. 

Completely ignoring the pain they cause when dragging Stiles out of the car, Gerard's minions lead him deep into the preserve. For each step, Stiles knows he's walking into his death but unable to do anything besides struggling all the way. 

And for which seems like a lifetime, they finally stop in the middle of nowhere in the preserve. Gerard's minions push Stiles forward which leads him to crash to a very large tree that was cut down. One of the minions - Paul - Stiles guess, pull out a hunting knife while Antony pulls out a handgun. 

Seeing the scene before him, a chill runs down Stiles's spine. He knows there is no way he could get out of this situation now. In the moment of weakness, the thought of begging for his life shows up. But as soon as it appears, Stiles immediately shuts it down. The moon tonight might witness for his death, the wind might cry for his soul that soon to be cut short...But he will never! Never give those bastards the satisfaction of listening to him begging for his life. Instead, grinds his teeth, Stiles stares down 2 men in front of him with so much hatred he never knows he has before.

Seeing the hatred in Stiles's eyes, one of Gerard's minions kneels in front of him with a maniac smile on his face

"Stiles isn't it? God! It's a beauty listening to your scream but too bad, the boss told us to get rid of you. Just to be clear, this! All of this is on you! You know why? Because you run with those filthy monsters and for that, I will give you a very slowly, painfully dying."

After that, this mad man slashes Stiles's torso with his hunting knife continuing with several stabs through his chest, his stomach, his legs...No wounds brutal enough to give him the dead's sentence immediately but will cause a lot of blood lost! And then, Stiles understands what Paul means earlier...This bastard wants him to bleed out until there's nothing left. 

Laying down upon the ground on his back, looking up to the moon...With each drop of blood leaving his body, Stiles feels the death crawling closer to catch his soul...

\----------------------------------


	2. Chapter 2

For the time has passed and the blood has lost, Stiles starts feeling nauseous and dizzy. The world is spinning, he can't think straight, can't see or hear anything but the moon above him and the haunted howling of the wind. He knows he's gonna die soon, maybe sooner than he expected. And Stiles can't believe he says it but he thinks he's starting to taste the dead in his tongue...

Even with his current situation, Stiles stills could feel Gerard's minions eyes on him from not afar. Choking on his blood, with all the wills, Stiles could not do anything but praying for all the Gods, Goddesses above and below to help him, to save him from this. Stiles is never the one with religious but after all of that bullshit named Werewolfs, Kanima...Stiles starts to believe. Right there and then, for this very moment, Stiles does hope that some Gods or Goddesses or anything out there could listen for his praying! And at the moment, something miracle that even Stiles could not fathom, response to him!

Right inside his heart, extremely close to the wound that caused by Gerard's minions earlier (screw you!), something...some magical power sparks to life! As soon as the spark sparks to life, it turns into a flame! Small, but a flame nevertheless! Stiles doesn't know how could he know there is a flame inside his heart, he just does! Stiles could feel it, could sense it, could see it! It's just right there! 

The flame starts running through his veins, making Stiles's body heated up, and maybe the blood lost is causing him hallucination but Stiles swears to God, he could feel the bleeding is slowing down! And few more seconds, might be ten? Or might it be twenty? Stiles doesn't know! But it's long enough for Stiles to realize that: Truly! The flame is slowing down the bleeding! 

Stiles doesn't know how could it even possible but who the hell he is when there is a miracle offered right in front of his face? Or might he say his heart? - Stiles chuckled. 

And then Stiles remembered! 

_ Be the spark!  _

That! That is what Deaton told him earlier when the vets asked him to make the circle of mountain ash to trap the Kanima!

_ You just have to believe! _

And believe he is! Never in his entire life (not long but enough - Thank you very much!) that he has this kind of focus! ADHD is a bitch! And his focusing is slippering from time to time! But in the matter of life or death like this, ADHD could go fuck themself! With the focusing so hard that Stiles could see stars dazzling in his eyes, Stiles pours all of his willpower, all of his intentions, all of his emotions into the flame! Believing that the flame will save him from the painfully dead!

And it works! For the mother of love! It's really working! The flame took all of his willpower, his belief, his intentions...to fuel it, make itself grow larger and larger, brighter and brighter with each second passed, and then starting to heal him from the inside out. 

Just before Stiles thinks he could heal himself fully by using the flame, the moment of victorious, of happiness died out like a flame of the candle being blown out! Because of course, Gerard's minions will know something was off! Of fucking course! These bastards pay attention to him! They still haven't left yet! 

One of them must have seen the bleeding was slowing down...Stiles hasn't yet bled for too much time after all. Hell! He doesn't even how much time that has he been bleeding. But they're hunters, they have to and will know how much blood inside a human body and how much time it costs for bleeding out. 

Hence, one of Gerard's minions steps closer to check up on him and for that moment, Stiles freezes! 

Stiles fears for his life, for what would happen if they know what's happening inside his body! He couldn't let them know that! No-oh! He just couldn't! He will be and has to be the one who is gonna see another day. For that moment, Stiles saw red!

Instead of healing himself using the flame. Stiles wills all of his pain caused by hours of torture, all of his hatred pointed to the hunters - especially these bastards and Gerard (fuck all of you), all of his fear and especially his rage...Stiles pours all of that combined with his belief in the flame! And there it is! The flame burn so bright, so hot that it turns into an inferno! 

With that inferno inside his body, Stiles stares down the two hunters standing in front of him! And Stiles swears he saw fear in these bastards eyes! One of them, the man with the gun raises his gun. But before he could fire it, Stiles let the inferno inside him break loose! And just for a moment, Stiles thinks he might raise Hellfire to the Earth!

Before his eyes, the inferno caused by him burned so brightly that it turns orange! It radiants with the heat so high that Stiles afraid he will burn himself along the way with these hunters in the end. But lucky him, the inferno seems to recognize Stiles somehow, because it burns right through Stiles's skin without causing any problems. 

The same thing could not be applied for these 2 hunters though. The flame leaps to them so fast that none of them could do anything but scream with the agony that no creature that walks the earth could handle!

Still too weak to move, the only thing Stiles could do (and enjoy) is watching the hunters burned to ashes before his eyes while listening to them screaming from the top of their lungs. To be honest, Stiles couldn't bring himself to care because he has a bigger problem!

Little by little, the flame is dying out...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing this chapter, I've been inspired by this beautiful masterpiece of Two Steps From Hell - Victory! 
> 
> So, please! Enjoy!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKRUPYrAQoE

Little by little, the flame is dying out...

Little by little, the flame is dying out...

The flame is dying out...

...dying out...

No matter how hard he tried, no matter how focused he was...Stiles couldn't maintain the flame. Little by little, the flame was dying out. Slowly, it's fading out of existence along with the flame inside Stiles's heart...And Stiles knows...he screwed up!!!

Struggling to sit up a little bit, and then leaning on the big tree stump nearby, Stiles exhales a long breath. Feeling dizzy, Stiles knew if he wasn't able to maintain the flame, wills it as his command, and use it to heal himself then this place soon will be his grave! 

Gather all the strength he has, Stiles once again reach inside his heart, use all of his willpower, his belief to fuel the flame. But not so long after he started, the dizzy hits him so hard that Stiles loses his concentrate. Hence, the flame starts dying out again but this time...much much faster...

Stiles knows for sure that the blood loss, the wounds, the pain, and the ADHD is catching up on him now! He can't focus long enough to fuel the flame. Each time he tried and failed miserably, the flame was dying out faster and faster until it dims and glimmers inside his heart. And soon becomes too tiny almost invisible to Stiles's liking. 

Spitting out the blood stuck on his throat, Stiles knows, without a doubt, he will not make it...But the hell that he will give up fighting! There's no way he goes down without a fight! 

Stiles doesn't know how many times has he been trying to concentrate on maintaining the flame or how much time that has passed. Before Stiles could start again on feeding his belief to fuel the flame, a voice echoes inside his head

**_ It's lovely that your stubbornness for feeding your magic has still persevered after too many miserably failed! I'd love to say that I'm impressed but too bad I'm not! _ **

Startled, Stiles snapped his head up to look for the source of the voice and  _ DAMN _ ! How  _ wrong _ he was! The dysequilibrium comes back with full force this time making everything around Stiles spinning with black dots. 

\----------------------------

There is something really dark about the voice, there is nothing in it that could point out whether it's male for female. Nothing at all, it's just like a void, a black hole, and the feeling of darkness that pouring off its sound. It's just disturbing Stiles in so many levels, not to mention that whoever this voice belonged to known about his mom

Take a moment to gather himself, grinds his teeth, Stiles shout!

  * Who the hell are you? Show yourself!!!



Receiving no answer, Stiles thought he might have a delusion but then again, a very loud and clear voice appears again in his head 

**_ Now! Now, Stiles! Shouting is not the polite way to greet someone, isn't it? I thought your mother taught you better than this...Oh! My bad...She's already dead... _ **

Stiles feels his heart sank listening to some cryptic creepy twisted voice echoing inside his head mentioned his long lost mother. It's still fucking hurt so much even after so many years passed. Before letting himself drowning with the guilt and the pain of losing his mother at the age so young, Stiles shut it all down! 

What can he say? He is a fan of ignoring a problem until eventually it just goes away anyway...So, there he is! Continuing with the shouting!

  * Don't you dare to talk about my mother like that! How about you show yourself so I could burn you to the ground? Huh! 



Choking on his blood several times, Stiles spits out. Shouting might not be a suitable action for his certain situation or might he say: his lungs after all - Stiles realized.

**_ My...my...I like the way you try, Stiles! But, you and I, we both know that your ability to feed your magic is unattainable which means that you're gonna die soon... _ **

Let's out a haunting laugh, even though Stiles has so many smart retorts to shoot back but... _ oh my... _ he knows better! Exhaling a long breath, Stiles says

  * Listen to me you shit! Why don't you drop the act and tell me what the fuck you want from me?



**_ And why do you think that I want something from you, Stiles... _ **

  * So it's just normal for you to talk to a stranger - a teenage boy - I might add - in the middle of nowhere of the preserve who might die sooner or later due to the lack of blood? Yeah! I don't think so! Also, if you wanna do something, you had already done it instead of talking to me. So, I'm gonna ask again: what do you want? 



**_ Well...well...what a clever mind that you have, Stiles! But, the real question here isn't what I want but is what you want... _ **

**_...Do  _ **

**_...you _ **

**_...want  _ **

**_...to  _ **

**_...live... _ **

Those last words made Stiles's blood run cold...He knows whatever this voice belonged to, it's fishing him...

Despite knowing of never should he listen to a stranger (a creature? Stiles doesn't know! But a very creepy one for sure) - his dad is a Sheriff for fuck's sake - but Stiles hasn't to be a genius to know this is a losing battle! Stiles wants to live! God! He wants to live so fucking bad that he's gonna throw out all of his carefulness through the window right now just so he could take the bait and live another day...

  * I don't know what or whoever you are but I know for sure you're fishing me right now but...yes...I want to live! 



**_ Well...It seems like between you and me...We have a deal! _ **

The sickly twisted excitement of the voice made Stiles feels sick in his stomach...But he couldn't back out now, could he?

  * And what deal are we talking about?



**_ The deal is which I will save your life in exchange for you to set me free... _ **

  * And how the hell I'm gonna do that? 



**_ On your right, about 4 meters, there is a trap door that leads to a root cellar underneath the big stump which you're leaning on. Now...Come to me, Stiles... _ **

Glancing on the right, hiding under the bush and extremely hard to look for while under the moonlight, true to its words, Stiles found something similar to a trap door. Although Stiles's in no shape to walk, he sure as hell can crawl if this is his only chance to survive. 

Slowly and painfully crawling to the trap door, Stiles groans for each step was made but thank God! He's finally made it without passing out. Open the trap door, just like a snail crawling on the leaf, Stiles leads himself under the root cellar. Even though with the moonlight, the root cellar is still too dark for Stiles to see anything (and where the hell the night vision of wolfy magic when you need them). 

Stopping a moment to catch a breath, Stiles asks the hollow darkness before him

  * So...what's next?



To answer Stiles's question, something's on the right before him cleary moving and making some noises

**_ Come...come on Stiles...Just a little closer _ **

His heart is beating so fast now and Stiles afraid that he might have a heart attack. Every single cell of Stiles's body is yelling at him to get out! To back off! To stay as far away as possible! This is like walking into a demon trap and Stiles knew it could turn into the worst scenario ever! But what possibly could he do? This might be the only chance for him to survive, to heal himself, and to see his dad again...So hell yeah! He's definitely gonna take it!

Hence, swallowing hard, Stiles braves himself for the worst that yet to come. Dragging his body closer to the source to the sound, just a few seconds, Stiles thinks there's nothing here until he saw a jar with a fly inside

**_ Go on, Stiles...Open the jar for me... _ **

God save my soul...this is a bad idea! No, scratch that! This is the worst idea ever - Stiles thought! Pick up the jar, Stiles stares at the fly inside it a long moment and before he could back out, Stiles twists the jar to set the fly free! 


	4. Chapter 4

And just like that, Stiles set the fly free! 

It only took a second, right before his eyes, the fly turned into a vague, unhealthy black smoke. And then, before Stiles could do anything, the black mist flew right to his body...It likes the black mist seeped into Stiles's skin through every pore. He tried to fight back, to push back but nothing happened. He can't even touch it physically, DAMN IT! And after all of the black mist soaked into his skin, Stiles falls into the darkness...

Stiles doesn't have Nyctophobia but he begins to fear the darkness he falls into. He neither can see nor can sense anything around him. It's just the darkness, a black hole, a _void_ that now beginning to suck his soul, his awareness into it. As time passed, little by little, pieces by pieces, Stiles lost himself.,.Stiles doesn't know how much he can handle but he knows if he doesn't do anything soon, he will disappear into the dark...

It'll be great if someone or something could tell Stiles what to do because he has no idea how could he get out of this mess now. Therefore, Stiles calls for the only thing he can think of...his spark! For a second, Stiles feared his sparks won't respond for his wills but thank God! It is! 

Here it is! Inside his heart, the spark now winked into existence that quickly turns into the fire burning through his skin, glowing while flowing in his veins. No matter what the black mist did, it somehow pulled Stiles's consciousness (his soul? - Stiles honestly didn't know!) out of his body. Stiles won't admit it but he felt so much better when he can feed his magic without being interfered by the pain of his physical condition. And after being nourished with a great deal of intent and belief, the fire burns brighter and more brilliant in Stiles's veins until all the darkness around him being repelled and away from him 10 meters at least...

Under normal circumstances, Stiles may have joked about how he glows exactly the same as the light of a star-shaped Chrismas on top of the Chrismas tree if it's not because the darkness around him had tried to eat him alive. Between being a light and being eaten alive by darkness, Stiles will take being a glowing light over every day!

Amusing himself by still having a sense of humor in the weirdest and the most terrifying period of his life, Stiles wasn't a fool to not realize that he was, in fact, still in danger! Because despite being repelled, the darkness is still trying and fighting his fire so that it can come closer to Stiles...to EAT him! 

Stiles remembers Leo Tolstoy once said: "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." Patience and Time - neither that Stiles has. Time is a complex thing and it's pointless to count as how much time has passed when there's nothing around him but darkness...And patience is never one of Stiles's strength. If Stiles once said that his sarcasm is his only defense then his stubbornness will be the only weapon he brings to the battlefield to stand his ground when fighting the opponent. Hence, the closer the darkness approaches, the further Stiles repels it with his spark.

This _will not_ be a battle that Stiles will lose! 

Stiles doesn't know how but Stiles has a feeling that the darkness around him is becoming impatient. Impatience could be a good or a bad thing depends on the situation, and in Stiles's current situation, impatience isn't a good thing for him. Because one moment there is darkness all around Stiles, next thing Stiles knows, all darkness condenses together. With a blink of an eye, standing right in front of him was a new form of darkness created in the shape of a giant black fox with glowing hazy white eyes. 

In the meantime of being stared down by those hazy white eyes that shuddered through Stiles's bones, Stiles couldn't help but notice that the fox-like monster was as big as a car equipped with huge fangs and claws. But what makes this monster special is its tails! One, two, three, four,...nine - counted Stiles! 

It is a nine-tailed fox! A Kitsune! 

Stiles knows what it is! He stumbled upon it while doing tons of research on the Werewolfs, Kanima,...and other monsters that bump into the night. Stiles doesn't know much about this creature but he knows enough. A Kitsune is a vicious predator with extremely high intelligence combined with an enormous amount of magic that increases with age and wisdom. And of all the folklores Stiles had read, a Kitsune for sure is fucking a trickster! _Damned!_ He was tricked - thought Stiles! 

_May you live in interesting times_ \- they said! 

At this very moment, Stiles seriously wants to question his life whether he is lucky or cursed! Because... _WTF_??? A Kitsune is not even an indigenous American mythological creature! Its origin is in Japan and China for fuck's sake! What the hell is it doing here??? Though desperate for an answer, with one look in the eyes of the Kitsune showing off the ferocious hunger, Stiles knew he didn't have much time. 

Before Stiles's eyes, with its speed so fast that it became a blur of black, the Kitsune jumped towards Stiles. Immediately acting according to his instincts, Stiles creates a luminous barrier between himself and the Kitsune causing the Kitsune bounced back with full force. Stiles might have sympathy for it if not because the Kitsune clearly and definitely wants to eat him! Just before the Kitsune could make another move, Stiles wills his barrier to shelter him like a dome, which quickly becomes a very good thing to do given the fact that the Kitsune has been made several attacks in a very short period from different angles with speed too fast to Stiles's liking! 

Every time the barrier was attacked, it glows with a fluorescent yellow of molten gold makes it a sight to behold. But that doesn't make Stiles feel better in any damn sense!!! Because every time the barrier glows, Stiles cries in pain when he felt his head repeatedly being stabbed by a knife. The pain was almost unbearable but his stubbornness overcame it. As he somehow managed to stand his ground against the Kitsune making the creature completely frustrated and extremely angry. 

No, the Kitsune's not only angry! It's furious! Its blood is boiling with anger! How could a tiny useless human go against it like that?

Stiles doesn't need to be a psychic to feel its wrath. But he did not care! The longer he can maintain the dome, the better chance Stiles will survive, right? While keeping the dome maintained, Stiles had an opportunity to survey the surroundings. Stiles notices that he and the Kitsune are currently having a battle in a very spotless white room. Except for Stiles and the Kitsune, nothing is here. 

Despite doing a great job of holding on the barrier against the Kitsune, Stiles doesn't think he can do it any longer then he would like to. The pain Stiles gets after every time the Kitsune slams its body to the barrier is getting worse, Stiles is now bleeding from the nose and soon his eyes are bleeding as well. At first, Stiles can create a 4 meters-radius barrier sheltering himself, but after a while, little by little, Stiles has to reduce it until he faces the Kitsune standing right in front of him with only 2 meters between them. 

**_Oh...Stiles...You know you can't keep up like this...Why don't you give up?... I promise I will give you a quick and painless dead..._ **

Stiles knows the Kitsune is taunting him for him to lose his focus and then drop his barrier, which is a huge no-no. Besides, at the very close distance as he is with the Kitsune like right now, Stiles can see the manic glint in the Kitsune's eyes very clearly - thank you very much! Hence, Stiles knows if he dropped his barrier, the Kitsune will tear him to pieces and kills him in the worst way and as painful as possible! So he keeps his mouth shut and pulls all of his wills to strengthen his barrier even more!

_Never trust the fox -_ Stiles talked to himself...

Seeing the answers in Stiles's eyes and sensing the barrier reinforced, the Kitsune let out an intense growl showing off its rage and then continuing to slam its body against the barrier with more force. Meanwhile making Stiles's nosebleed gets worse... The longer the Kitsune slammed against the barrier, the more Stiles bled, and the more painful he got. Stiles can't stand straight anymore...Dropping out on his knees, Stiles knows he's breathing on the borrowed time...

2 meters...

1.5 meters...

1 meter...

When the barrier was about a meter radius left, the Kitsune stopped slamming. Instead, it dugs its claws to the barrier, spares one last glance to Stiles, with the manic glint in its eyes, the Kitsune _TEARS_ the barrier apart! And then leaps forwards with an open mouth full of fangs...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter while listening to this song:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcg6wekmCRA
> 
> So, please enjoy! Love u all! <3 <3 <3

_ This is it...This is how I'm gonna die... _

This is everything that Stiles had ever imagined, just like those rom-com movies that Stiles had seen...Everything around Stiles blurs in action, everything Stiles sees or feels or senses slow down in front of him. The world is like an old blurred picture that no one could see through. It likes something or someone with the power beyond the human realm had stretched a second to billions before your eyes for you to have all the time in the world to think, to feel, to remember everything you've done, every mistake you had made, and everyone you've ever loved...And then, you could brave your soul to the Death that comes and guides you on the road to the afterlife...

Stiles knew what's gonna happen, what will happen...Given the fact that in the very next moment, he will leave this realm to walk the path of the dead...So he takes the offering of the universe, takes all the time he could get to think about everything and everyone...

He thinks about his mom first, Claudia Stillinki was a unique woman and a wonderful grade A mother that everyone could ever dream of. Stiles still remembers all the bedtime stories that his mom used to tell him before he went to sleep. Her voices, her sparkle eyes, her dazzling smiles, her laughs, and her kisses on his forehead to wish him goodnight, to tell him that she loved him so much and much much more...Stiles still remembers the memories of those summers when his mom asked him to help with gardening, to collect fruits and vegetables, and then used them to make dinners for him and his dad...Those last few years Stiles had with his mom were not easy, her disease - Frontotemporal Dementia - might put some strained on their relationship but it didn't affect his love for her. There are so many memories of her that Stiles still remembers until this day, those memories are treasures to him. He will keep it all close to his heart...So that, in any chance, in another lifetime, he could be her son again...

And then Stiles takes time to remember his dad...Raising a kid is not easy, raising a kid while being a single father is even harder, and to be a single father raising an ADHD kid is a Hell of work! Stiles is not an easy kid to raise, a hyperactive child with too much energy, with millions and billions of questions about  _ how  _ and  _ why _ . Stiles always has an enthusiasm for knowledge, a desire to know  _ anything _ and  _ everything _ . He knew he is a lot for a single father...But his dad had raised him well. His dad is Stiles's moral compass, his dad has guided him so that those hunger of knowledge could be useful and not harm other people. Oh...Stiles knew he could become a terrific criminal, okay! But, because of his dad, Stiles has been guided and would love to join law enforcement and will enjoy every minute of it when he nails criminals to the bar. There might be a few drinking problems after his mother passed away, but that's alright. People mourn their loved one in different ways, his dad's drinking habit to mourn for the loss of his wife might not be the best way, but after seeing how it affected his only child and with the help of Melissa, his dad had stopped drinking and barely touch anything with alcohols in it afterward.

And Stiles thinks about Melissa - God bless that woman. She might not be his mom and never will be. But after his mom passed away, Melissa had stepped up and become a Mother figure to him and Scott. She stopped John - his dad - 's drinking problems when she saw how it affected Stiles. She cleaned the house, cooked for them, hold him in the night while he cried when the memories of his mom were too much. She picked the pieces and put them back together after he fell out. Stiles will always love her as his second mom...

And then there is Scott...His brother by all means but not by blood. They have known each other for so so long. Stiles and Scott became an item, a package deal, the beans in the pod since they had only 4 years old. They had promised each other to stand by through thick and thin. Stiles has no idea when it happened? When did they fall out of each other life so that Scott didn't event notice Stiles has been missing? Where did Scott when Stiles about to receive a goodbye kiss of Death to get ready for the afterlife? Things are...after all of that...Stiles still misses his brother, his best friend...

After that, Stiles thinks about Lydia - the Goddess of his life. When your threat of life is about to be cut short like this, Stiles thinks he may not love Lydia as much as he thought he was. He used to have a 10 years plan to make her fall in love with him for fuck's sake! But after really thinking about that, Stiles knows he just loves an ideal of her! And that...is so so wrong...But Stiles knows she is smart! So smart! Behind the facade of the most popular girl in the school, the queen bee, Lydia is a genius! She is the only person in school who can keep up with him on the path to becoming the valedictorian. So if given another chance, Stiles really would love to be called her best friend...

\-------------------------

Taking all the time to think, to remember, to relive all the memories of all the people he had, has and will always love, Stiles finally notices something wasn't right. Stiles means...There's no rushing, okay? And Stiles is so thankful that the universe had given him the chance to remember all the good memories. But..is it.. a little...too long??? And then Stiles realizes...this isn't the universe gave him an offering to remember, but this is because something's truly happening here! Stiles doesn't know who or what did it! But, something or someone is clearly with enormous power had done something to make him and the Kitsune stopped in places! 

There is no point in moving...Excepts for moving his eyes back and forth, Stiles can not even make a twitch! And damned!!!! It could be a relief if someone or something could move the giant mouth full of fangs of the Kitsune to other places? Or maybe other angles? So that those fangs won't maim at his head anymore??? Because seeing your head was maimed by a giant mouth full of fangs belonged to a monster that aims to tear your body to pieces, is definitely not his definition of fun! No! Not at all! 

Maybe Stiles has wished his wishes to the Genie - no, scratch that - Genie isn't real! The Djinn is real and they are scary as hell. Anyway, Stiles's wish has been granted! Before Stiles's eyes, there are hundreds of glowing tree roots crawling up to the Kitsune and then beginning to wrap the Kitsune up layers upon layers while strangling it. The satisfaction of seeing the Kitsune being strangled while sensing its fear thicked in the air was soon shot down by the realization that not only the Kitsune but also Stiles was being wrapped up as well!  _ WHAT THE HELL _ ??? Stiles has a lot of kinks but bondage definitely is not one of them! Not now, not 10 years from now and maybe not ever! 

Hopeless trying to escape but can't move a fucking finger or even make a twitch! Trying to call for his spark but soon find out it's lost cause, Stiles finally accepts the fact that he is now being wrapped up layers upon layers upon layers by fucking glowing tree roots- Stiles gave up...

When all of his body and the Kitsune's body is wrapped up and covered up by hundreds of glowing tree roots, the next things Stiles knows and feels is  _ pain...painn....painnnn _ .....

Stiles screams...

...scream...

..........scream............

and... _ screaming......................... _

These kinds of pain are too much for a human to handle, these kinds of pain that make you question everything in your life and then wanna die in the very next second for the pain to stop. It's just unbearable...Stiles feels his whole body was on fire, it likes every cell of his body was burned to ashes by Hellfire from inside out. It likes something has ripped out his soul and then tore it to pieces, likes he was struck by thunders that have thousands of volt aiming to destroy him until there's nothing left but dust...

The only thing that helped Stiles to stay conscious through the pain was the fact that the Kitsune is also in as much pain as he is if not worse! It's screaming so loud with an inhuman shriek infused with the power making everything around Stiles shaking. Stiles also notices that the condensed fox-shaped of the Kitsune beginning to crumble. At first, there are few streaks of black smoke leaking from its body, and then with ten times and twenty times the amounts, the black smoke is starting to leak out more and soon disappear into thin air leaving nothing behind. The more time passes, the more black smoke leaks out of the Kitsune's body, the more painful it sounds shrieking! 

Although suffering the worst pain ever, Stiles somehow knew that he'll survive! Whatever these glowing tree roots are doing, it has no means to do him harm. The same thing could not be said for the Kitsune though...

The Kitsune has to sense and notice the intention of these glowing tree roots, given the fact that it struggles more attempting to escape but soon realizes that it's a lost cause. Meanwhile, the glowing tree roots are putting more force and power to strangle the Kitsune to death! As a little shit as Stiles is, he enjoys every minute of it. 

But his life has never been easy! Hence, just before Stiles could have the last laugh and wave goodbye to his foe, the Kitsune explodes causing a wave of black smoke and darkness to knock Stiles out of his position while destroying everything around him! Right in front of his eyes, just before falling unconscious, everything around Stiles shattered into pieces including glowing tree roots and the white room while feeling something snap into place. It likes a bond tugged into his heart then connected it to something...

Afterward, everything all black...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to say that I really appreciate your comments on this story. It helps me to expand my storylines and ideas so that I could do better in the next and the next chapter. So, thank you <3
> 
> Note:
> 
> \- Electric blue is always my all-time favored color. Therefore, Stiles's magic and eyes color will be electric blue! No one can tell me otherwise! ^^
> 
> \- The way Stiles wields his magic and the way his eyes shine will be the same as Khadgar of Warcraft
> 
> Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8FvB-EXsJ0
> 
> \- For me, Stiles is always a warrior, a soldier keeps on marching on to battles for protecting his loved one. And I found this song of Fleurie fits him perfectly. 
> 
> Song: Soldier - Flurie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32W3J7XaNH8  
> \---------------------------------------

When the lands were still rich and the world was still full of wonders. When humans still worshiped the Old Gods and when tales of creatures that pumped into the night were stills dispersed generations after generations...Those good old days since _It_ was chosen to be a scared space for humans reaching out to the Old Gods above and below by performing rituals. Those days were still imprinted on its life circles. It has been a long time since _It_ didn't have to hide from whose sought _It_ out with ill intentions, to protect itself from whose meant to harm. _It_ was cut down and its magic was being meddled by darkness because the former Guardians had failed to protect _It_. The Native Americans and the Hales had failed to protect the land and protect _It_ as well. But tonight...tonight everything will change! Because the Nemeton has chosen the perfect Guardian for its own! 

Suddenly, the preserve shakes itself awake from a very long sleep... 

Hanging low above the sky, Mother Moon sings her eternity lullabies to children who walk the path of the moonlight shining through the canopy of the trees. The Wind begins to whispering tales of the Old Gods that long forgotten. Unfinished wishes being cried by ghosts stuck in the human realm to those who capable or incapable of listening. The air thickens with magic while thunders sang loudly upon the sky. Forest hums the orchestra of creatures used to roam the Earth...For sending their welcome to the new Guardian of the Nemeton! 

Underneath the Nemeton, inside the root cellar, there was a boy lying motionless on the ground tangled and wrapped up by glowing tree roots. The boy was brutally beaten, bruises all over his body, blood was leaking out of stabbed wounds, and might as well die soon if it wasn't because those glowing tree roots are healing him from the inside out. 

Slowly...

Slowly...

...And slowly...

...Broken bones are longer broken, stabbed wounds are knitting themself together leaving faint pink scars on the boy's body while blood is longer leaking out...Except for still having bruised all over body and clothes are shredded and still soaking on blood, the boy is now completely healed. 

Sensing the boy is longer near the brink of death, the glowing tree roots begin to unwrap itself from the boy. When the boy finally completely gets free...The boy opens his eyes!

The eyes itself is a sight to behold! If Stiles had a mirror, he will notice that his eyes are now glowing beautifully with the color of a bright brilliant electric blue! Unlike the blue color of the Beta Werewolves, Stiles's eyes are shining inside out like a representation of the color of lightning, of electric sparks, of the hottest flame...It shines with the intensity of warriors ready themself for wars while radiating a tremendous amount of magic containing inside 152 pounds of fleshes and bones of Stiles's body! 

Startled, as soon as he awakes, the electric blue in Stiles's eyes begins to dimming out...Immediately on his feet, Stiles soon finds out that his body feels like shit! Everything hurts like hell and it sore everywhere! But compared with the killing pain he felt earlier, Stiles finds this kind of pain is not bad after all! 

Taking a moment to gather himself, Stiles finally realized that he's no longer on the brink of death! No leaking blood, no stabbed wounds, and no broken bones - Stiles thought? He isn't a doctor but it didn't feel like he has any broken bone - so he guessed. There are still bruised all over his body and a lot of faint pink scars where the stabbed wounds used to be but besides that...He was completely healed! A thought crossed his mind that Stiles wonders what miracle had happened to him? But that thought could wait because right now, Stiles has something more urgent to deal with aka the Kitsune! 

Glancing around, Stiles couldn't find any sign of the Kitsune...like...at all! Where the hell is it? Where had it gone? Where...

**Looking for me, Stiles?**

And just like that, Stiles is bombarded with information and knowledge making his head hurt so fucking much! _Really_? Why does it always pain? It likes the worst headache ever! Dropping down on his knees and tucking hands on his hair, Stiles has to take a long moment to gather himself after processing all the information and knowledge he's just received! Sitting up is useless so he's just gonna lie on the ground, by the way! Exhales a long breath, Stiles chokes out a victorious chuckle...

"So now you're stuck with me, huh? Didn't see that coming, did you?"

**My...my...Arrogance and ignorance** **will get you nowhere, Stiles. If it wasn't because of the Nemeton, your delicious soul has been mine to eat already! And then...Imagines what possibly could I have done if I wear your skin???**

That thought...sends chills to Stiles's bones...What possibly could the Kitsune have done if it wore his skin? It could... _NO_! Stop that! No fucking way he drowns himself on those thoughts because...he doesn't know he could crawl back from that. Absolutely not! Stiles won't let the Kitsune goes under his skin like that! What done is done! Right now he's still Stiles and the Kitsune is stuck with him for eternity!!! 

_Yes_! The information and knowledge Stiles received earlier are about what had happened in his mind! Yeah! His fucking _mind_! The Kitsune couldn't have been chosen another better battlefield? Fuck you! Anyway, back to the matter at hand, Stiles now knows that, yes, the Kitsune had tricked and tried to eat his soul so that it could use his body as a vessel but did not succeed! _Why_? Because the Nemeton had interfered by destroying the Kitsune meanwhile chosen him to be its new Guardian!

The real question is...why _him_? Stiles means...Why chose _him_ but not someone else? Stiles knew he's awesome but let's be honest, except for his sarcasm, his wits, his intelligence...Stiles is nothing but a human with fleshes and bones. But...Truth is...Stiles wasn't as human as he thinks he was! Apparently! _Apparently_ is a keyword, he was born with an ability and potential to perform magic. Not pull-a-card-trick-kind-of-magic but is real-life magic! Like druids, mages, enchanters/enchantresses, alchemists, sorcerers/sorceress,...types of magic! And while dying by bleeding out on the Nemeton combined with calling out for his spark - his magic - Stiles realized, Stiles had sort of sacrificed himself to the Nemeton. And after defined Stiles worthy, the Nemeton decided him to be its new Guardian. 

By making Stiles became its new Guardian, the Nemeton has to perform a ritual to bind his Soul - Body - and Mind to it. The Body part is the easiest because of, well, the bleeding out. The Mind is not too hard either because Stiles had called out for help and the Nemeton responded. The hard part of the binding ritual is his Soul, and that's because the Kitsune had blocked his Soul out of his Body so that the Kitsune could eat his soul without being interfered with. But too bad, it didn't work out the way the Kitsune wanted it to be! The Nemeton somehow found the way to connect with his Soul through his Mind and his Body and then... _BANG_! Glowing tree roots! 

The binding ritual is not easy and is extremely painful, not everyone could handle these kinds of pain. Things are...the pain was also the last trial of Nemeton for its Guardians. If you could handle the pain then, congratulation! You became the Guardian of the Nemeton - One of the few of the most powerful magical beings in the human realm! You could access all the power, the magic contained inside the Nemeton at your wishes! But if you couldn't handle the pain and failed the last trial, then...you'll be dead! Ends of the story! 

Thankfully, although suffering an extreme pain that Stiles could not even fathom, Stiles had passed the trial and became the Guardian of the Nemeton. But there is still one problem left...the Kitsune! 

The Nemeton had intended to destroy the Kitsune - Basically, it was called the Nogitsune - the Dark-Nine-Tailed-Fox-Spirit that feeds on chaos and destructions, on sorrows and pains, on violence and strife - in the process of making Stiles became its Guardian, but did not succeed. It's because the Nogitsune was smart, is smart...so it knew that it wouldn't come out alive in the battle with the Nemeton. The jar contained the Nogitsune was not only the prison to trap it inside, but also protected the Nogitsune from the Nemeton as well. 

Therefore, knowing the fact that it couldn't escape, the Nogitsune has chosen the only way to save its life which was to bind itself to Stiles! The pact that the Nogitsune was used to bind itself with Stiles was a very old, very ancient one. The one that unbreakable. The one that could only be used to bind Familiars to their companions! It likes a soulmate bond, and there is no way in Hell Stiles could see the Nogitsune as his soulmate! No fucking way! So...Familiars it is...

After the pact was made and the bond snapped into places, Stiles's life and the Nogitsune's life were connected and bound together. This means that if either of them dies, the other will die as well. Hence, the Nemeton couldn't do anything but to accept and spare the Nogitsune's life in order to save its new Guardian.

So...Here Stiles is, at one night, Stiles was hurt beyond imagination and nearly die! In exchange to find out that he has, as fact, magic while also gained a thousand years old Familiar and have access to the Nemeton's magic source as well. What a night! Right?

Let all of that information sinks in, Stiles finally speaks:

"Tomato, _tomato..._ What done is done! You're _stuck_ with me now! So...Nogits, why don't you roll over and play nice, huh? I may rub your belly after all!"

Stiles could feel the annoyance and frustration of the Nogitsune in his head through the Familiar's bond. _Oh_! Stiles is going to enjoy every minute of it! Hey! What can he say? Not everyone has a chance to annoy your enemy to death without consequences, right?

**Well...As you said, we are _stuck_ together! So I will politely point out for you that Nogitsune is the name of my kind, _not_ my name! So...You may call me Itachi... **

Taken back with how polite the Nogitsune - Itachi - sounded, Stiles has to say that Itachi does have a point. Therefore, Stiles really truly thinks it through. Basically, they - Itachi & Stiles - are certainly stuck together. It's suck! Stiles knew it! There is no excitement when your soul was bound to the creature had tried to eat you alive not long ago. It's frustrated Stiles to no end! But...Stiles knew...There is no turning back from this. As he said: what done is done. So, there is no point in making a fuss of it, right?

Well...If this is his life now, being bound to the creature that had tried to eat your soul not long ago but failed, then why don't make it easier and maybe he could gain something in return in a long way? And when it comes to Stiles, he is an expert to roll with everything that life throws at him and still comes out on top of it! Hence, here he is, making the truce with his enemy

"Alright...You're right! We are _stuck_ together and I'm tired of fighting already. So you and I, we're gonna have a truce, okay?"

**As your wishes, Stiles...**

Itachi goes silent after that, Stiles finds it's fine because, to be honest, he doesn't want to talk either. Stiles also feels the tiredness of Itachi through their bond so Stiles thought the binding ritual and the pact had to take up a lot of Itachi's magic already. The same could be said about him as well...God...He feels so tired...He feels horrible. Everything hurts everywhere, Stiles doesn't even know where to begin to describe with. He just wants to lay down, to rest, to take a sleep that even the end of the world couldn't wake him up. But that's wishes and wishes don't work! Besides, he still has a lot of things to do anyway...So, Stiles stands up - God, laying down is really a wonderful option, but no, can't do - then drags himself out of the root cellar to head out of the preserve...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! The second chapter in 1 day! Woohoo!!!!
> 
> I would like to point out that I will bring Lydia's heritage out sooner than the canon because I love Banshee - The Wailing Woman! I find their ability, their magic, their power to sense Death is awesome! 
> 
> By the way, I'm Vietnamese so are there any Vietnamese out there? Also, please stay strong, wear a mask when going out, wash your hands regularly! 
> 
> Love u all! <3 <3 <3
> 
> Song: The night we meet - Lord Huron
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGF7PswOENQ

Lydia was restless...

Despite other's opinions about her, Lydia knew she is a genius. All the facades she showed in school were just the armor she wore to protect herself from the outside world. The queen bee, the dumb girl with the high fashion sense, the highest chain in the popularity of the school's social, was just the show for who incapable of seeing through the mask. People see things they want to see, assume things want to assume and Lydia let them be while she manipulated the shit out of them. She knew it's not healthy but she likes it this way...because...you could not be hurt if no one knows who you really are...right?

But there still has a few people who saw Lydia for what she truly is...

The first person is Stiles. Even though he is a little shit and he didn't take no for the answers that make her feels extremely annoyed. Even though 95% amount of time she ignored him for good. Even though they had never been friends...Lydia still feels a little comforted that Stiles had seen through her mask to notice her intelligence, not to mention that he's the only competitor that could keep up with her on the path to be the Valedictorian. And trust her words for this: the Valedictorian will be her in the ends. 

The next was Danny. Oh...Sweet Danny...Always a ray of sunshine radiating with love behinds every smile. Everyone in school loves Danny! Danny is just so good in nature that it's actually his characteristic. So there is no surprise when Danny really sees and understands Lydia. They have been friends for as long as she could remember. Lydia hates it when people stereotyped her choice of friends when Danny became her best friend, but she has to admit that having a gay best friend that always stands by your side until the end of the world is the best feeling ever. And it'll be just adding more little peaks when Danny's also a genius in computers and everything involved combined with the killing sense of fashion. 

And then, there'll be Allison...Allison is...a special case. They have not been friends for too long but somehow they clicked. Friendship needs to manifest with nurture and care and understanding through time. The friendship between Lydia and Allison is special, with just a short amount of time, they had become really good friends. Allison is a good person with the kind heart and determination to fight for her loved one. But Lydia also acknowledges that Allison is struggling to find the right path to achieve what she truly wants and needs. But that's alright, Lydia will be there for her when she lost her way and Lydia has faith in Allison that she will do it for Lydia as well. 

The last but not least, Jackson! To most of the people, Jackson is a spoiled brat that cares nothing but himself, interested in nothing but fame and his status in the school's popularity. People might say that she and Jackson only stay together to maintain at the top of the school's chain of fame. Most of what they said was true...Lydia won't be those girls that were arrogant and ignorant of the fact that Jackson has been acting like a brat! Lydia knew all of that, she acknowledged that a long time ago but there is more between them...

Thing is...they truly love each other for what they truly are. Their relationship is more than what people say and Jackson is more than what people think he was. 

Jackson is...insecurity about everything for most of his life. Since he found out that he had been adopted, Jackson had been familiar with the insecurity eaten him inside out. The insecurity that he is not good enough for his biological parents to want him, not good enough for his adopted parents to be proud of him, not good enough for Lydia to be wanted to be with him, not good enough to be the friend Danny wants to befriend with...For those insecurities, Jackson acted like an ass so that no one could see through the mask. Despite those actions were stupid and insecurity is not the reason allowed you to treat other people like shit. But what can Lydia say? Jackson is a teenage boy and teenagers do stupid things all the time. 

You have to understand that there's more of Jackson so that Danny could be his best friend for all these years, so that Lydia could be with him for all these years. Because...for all the flaws, Lydia will always love him for the fact that Jackson treats Danny with respect and will be there for Danny no matter what. Lydia admired the way Jackson had stood up for Danny and beat the shit out of everyone for making fun of him when Danny came out (while Lydia - herself - scared the shit out of everyone for making fun of her best friend - of course), still remembers the way Jackson lends Danny his shoulder to cry on after his first broke up with his first boyfriend. And Lydia will always love that Jackson remembers everything she loved and maybe he didn't want to, he still followed her to the ends. 

Their relationship has been up and down but Lydia still believes that they will find the way to come back together. But...it's impossible now, isn't it? Because Jackson...was dead. 

Lydia & Jackson - There will be no  _ us _ , no  _ them _ , no  _ ours _ ...Because the other half will not be there with her anymore...Lydia knew she is cunning, demanding, manipulative and resourceful,...she is a strong girl, damned it! But even the strongest person could still break if the things they love shredded from them. And right now, Lydia is breaking down in tears because Jackson was gone. She didn't even know that heartbreaking could be this painful, Lydia feels like she's drowning, she couldn't breathe...

Besides all of that, adding more in Lydia's restless and even more disturbing was the unsettling feeling inside her guts. Something isn't right, something is definitely wrong here! And Lydia could not find out what it is! It drives her insane!!! 

Since being bitten by the monster on the Winter Balls - mountain lion her ass - Lydia doesn't know what the monster is but she sure all hell it's not a mountain lion! She's going to kill everyone tell her otherwise. Right now, Lydia might not have time and energy and emotions to look for the answer but takes her words for this! She will find out what it is! 

Anyway, after being bitten, Lydia begins to have dreams, visions - Lydia truly does not know either or both - about the people who have died and will die...Lydia doesn't know what had happened to her, but she knew enough to realize that she had changed! Changing enough so she could hear their hopeless scream when the life source leaves their bodies, she could taste their death on her tongue, could hear whispers of ghosts stuck in the human realm telling her about the death that yet to come. Not to mention that she was haunted for months by a ghost of the man named _Peter Hale_ and then somehow brought him back to life! What a shit show her life is now??? The worst is that Lydia also has an urge leading her to find those dead and then screams for them from the top of her lungs...And right now, Lydia's having that urge!

Lydia does not know who is gonna die tonight, but that person has to matter for her somehow. Because the urge to find this person and to scream for his/her death is too strong for her to handle. Lydia could literally feel the caress of Death brushing on her throat in order to let the scream out. 

Between suffering the pain of losing the man she loved and the urge to scream for someone's death, Lydia finally has enough!  _ Fine _ ! If she was forced to look for the dead's body of someone she might or might not know but has a feeling that this person matters to her in the middle of mourning for her loved one, then fuck it! She's gonna do it!

Dragging herself out of bed, putting her clothes on, Lydia does not even care to put makeup on before hitting on her car and then drive to where the urge leading her to. It takes Lydia 15 minutes to notice that she's now heading to the Persevere of Beacon Hills. Thank God that she wears her running shoes instead of her heels! The urge is now event more intense, so Lydia drives as fast as she can. After breaking all the laws and limited speed, Lydia finally stops before the Beacon Hills Preserve sign which costs her nearly 40 minutes. 

Leaving the car on the side road before the Beacon Hills Preserve sign, following the urge that keeps becoming stronger and stronger, Lydia begins to jogging towards the wood. 

Deeper...

Deeper...

And deeper...into the Preserve, as suddenly as the urge inside Lydia's body appears, it suddenly dies out without warning!

WHAT THE FUCK!!! - asked Lydia. 

Lydia is a genius but at this very moment...she is just lost...Standing motionless in the middle of nowhere of the Persevere while letting out all of the cursing words she knew running inside her head, before taking a long deep breath! Gather herself for a moment, although she does not have the urge to lead the way anymore, Lydia still smart enough to notice that the urge has to lead her to somewhere and that "somewhere" is definitely nearby. Hence, Lydia begins to moving forwards which is a long walk until she stops dead before the pale lanky clumsy figure in front of her. Setting her eyes on the figure, Lydia speaks without notices how shaky and breathless her voice is:

"Oh...Stiles...I had wanted to scream for you..."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stumbled on this song years ago and it has stayed in my playlist ever since. While writing this chapter, I find that this song fits the chapter perfectly! So, please enjoy <3
> 
> Song: Out Of The Darkness
> 
> Artist: Matthew and the Atlas
> 
> https://youtu.be/9jgleXclGvQ

Showering under the pale moonlight, Stiles takes a deep breath and let the smell of the rich land, of the forest after rains, of ozone lingering in the air...to settle his mind. Take a look at the Nemeton, Stiles can't help but admires the sight in front of him...

Sure...When it comes to magic, Stiles is definitely a newbie! Hell, he just discovered that he had an innate ability to perform magic only a few hours ago. But...despite knowing nothing about magic, Stiles still could sense a tremendous amount of magic thickened in the air, still could taste the breathtaking power surrounding him. It likes everything around Stiles was being infused and humming with magic, too much that he could even taste it in the tip of his tongue...Adding to all of that is the Nemeton...Oh Holy Mother of God!!! The Nemeton is the most miracle thing Stiles has ever witnessed in his entire life! 

For the mundane's eyes, the Nemeton is nothing but the giant cut down stump tree. But for any supernatural creatures, any spellcasters with even only a tiny amount of magic, the Nemeton is glowing brilliantly with magic and radiating with power too strong that no one could resist! It likes a lighthouse standing fiercely under thunderstorms with the light so bright that Stiles scared he will be blinded at any moment. Stiles thinks he can feel the Nemeton even from his house. It feels like a beacon that every supernatural creature out there wants to take a bite of it! _Oh...So that's where the name of Beacon Hills came from -_ Stiles thought. 

Feeling being drawn to the Nemeton, Stiles could not resist but move forwards until he could put a hand on it. The moment his fingers reach the surface of the Nemeton, Stiles has never ever felt more alive...

It feels like his soul has left his body to travel to another realm...and maybe, Stiles thought, that's what it is - the Astral realm! In this realm, Stiles could feel anything and everything he wanted while having all the time in the world. 

Stiles could feel the connection between his body and his soul, feels the presence of the Nogitsune looming around his body in the shape of black smoke that never stops swirling while their bond visible before his eyes. Stiles could feel his connection with the Nemeton visible while bound and grounded him to the human realm. Stiles also notices that the presence of the Nemeton is presenting in 2 realms at the same time. He could feel the magic contained in the Nemeton while in awe of the discovery that the Nemeton is staying at the cross point of 2 huge ley lines. Stiles could feel the awakening of the land after a long sleep, could feel the humming of the forest to welcome him, could feel the whispering in the wind...Stiles could feel everything...

After letting himself in awe with the beauty of magic and nature, Stiles finally notice that there is darkness infused with very dark magic looming and meddling inside the Nemeton. In the old times when the Nemeton was at its prime when it was still strong and healthy, this amount of dark magic and darkness will be nothing and soon to be neutralized after a while. But after being cut down and abandoned, the Nemeton could not help but let the darkness, the dark magic rotten it inside out...Which made Stiles feel extremely disturbing and unsettling! Stiles wants the darkness, want this kind of dark magic to be gone and he wants it done _now_! 

Feeling Stiles's intentions, the Nemeton immediately reacts...

Visions and knowledge of performing the cleansing ritual used to be performed by the former Guardians were sent to Stiles through their bond. Withdrawing his hand off the Nemeton, acting on instinct, Stiles begins to chant! 

Slowly at first, and then faster and faster...

Quiet at first, and then louder and louder...

Spreads his arms, Stiles reaches out for his magic inside his heart, lets it flows in his veins, and then out of his body. Opens his eyes, the magic shines through his irises, and then soon spreads all over the eyes. Auroras appear dancing, whirling and twirling around his fingers while brilliantly glowing with the color of fluorescent electric blue. The louder Stiles chants the spells, the more of magic Stiles pours out of his body infused with all of his beliefs and then wills it to reach for the darkness inside the Nemeton. 

Slowly...

Slowly...

And slowly...

Stiles doesn't how long he has been chanting but after a while, Stiles finally expelled all of the darkness out of the Nemeton! Just before Stiles could begin to cleansing the darkness completely, Stiles heard Itachi's voice echoes in his head:

**Stiles...Can you leave it for me, please?...**

"Huh? Why do you want this kind of...Oh! I see! Darkness infused with dark magic! You feed on them, do you?" - Stiles sent his reply through their bonds.

**As astute as ever! I know I have chosen you for reasons...Yes, Stiles! I feed on darkness and dark magic, on chaos and destructions, on sorrows and pains, on violence and strife...So, will you leave it for me?...**

Knowing about Itachi's natures and hearing it to be voiced out loud is completely a different thing. Stiles feels his heart has missed a beat after hearing this. Stopping the chanting and pulling all of his magic back to his body while leaving the darkness infused with dark magic floating above the Nemeton. Swallowing hard, Stiles finally says:

"Fine! Do whatever you want. It's all yours!"

Doesn't even wait for Stiles to finish, black smokes pour out of Stiles's body then condensed themself together to form a black fox with the size that's slightly (maybe more than "slightly" - Stiles thought) bigger than the European red fox. Stiles also notices that Itachi currently has only one tail. Landing 4 legs on the ground, right after appear out of thin air, Itachi jumps forwards to the darkness while opens its maw and swallows it all! 

Stiles swears when Itachi opened its maw, it was way bigger than it should be. Turning back while licking its maw, sitting on the surface of the Nemeton, Itachi looks at Stiles with its glowing hazy white eyes:

**Thank you for the meal, Stiles! It's certainly very delicious. Wanna have a taste sometime?**

Declining to be intimidated by Itachi, Stiles brush off all of his emotions:

"Nah! I'm good with normal human foods...So...No, thank you!"

**What a pity! Your loss, then...**

"So...What is it all about? Is this your form now or else? I thought your form is different?"

**Or else...This is my glamoured form or you could call it my Beta's form. Easier to blend between humanity, less wasting magic to maintain on a daily basis. You had already seen my true form, Stiles. My Alpha's form with nine-tailed and way bigger...**

Remembers how big the Nogitsune was when it was in his mind, Stiles swallows hard... 

Sending Itachi one last glance, Stiles turns his attention to the Nemeton. After the third time of checking up to make sure there will be no darkness, no dark magic, no dark spirits, no humpo dumpo or anything could harm the Nemeton's magic source and its balance, Stiles finally releases a long breath he didn't even know he's holding. Quite happy with what he has done, sensing the balance now return to the Nemeton, Stiles smiles sincerely while feeling super proud of himself! Sensing Stiles's sincere through their bonds, the Nemeton replies with a wave of fondness and gratefulness. Knowing it's time to leave, Stiles says his goodbye to the Nemeton and heads out the Preserve...

"Uhm...I really have to go now but I'll see you soon, alright? Yeah! Bye Neme!"

\---------------------------

The walk heading out of the Preserve is a very long, very slowly and painfully walk! It seems like his legs and his upper part are in the divorce or something...Because they do not want to work together! Like, at all! Which made Stiles tripping and stumbling all the way out. He has magic for fuck's sake! Why didn't it help to cure his clumsiness? Trailing behind Stiles, each time he trips and falls on his arse, Itachi lets out chuckles earned it dead glares sent by no one but Stiles. Unaffected, the Nogitsune is still jogging slowly behind him...Stiles doesn't know whether normal foxes could smirk or not...But he sure as hell Itachi is _smirking_ right now! _Damned it_! He's really really want to rip the smirk off the Nogitsue's face!

Continuing on walking, constantly cursing about stupid Preserve, stupid werewolves, stupid Nogitsune, and especially stupid psychotic hunters, Stiles stops until hearing some noises ahead of him. Concentrates on his hearing, Stiles realized it's the walking noises! Questioning himself for a moment, looking down at Itachi, Stiles askes through their bonds:

"What do you think if I...you know...come forwards?"

**If you asked me because you're worried about your well-being, then I think you should have known by now that you had enough power to take down anyone and anything gets in your way. Also, lets me spell it out for you! Listen to me, Stiles. If you die, I will die too! And I definitely want to prevent it to happen since I had just escaped my prison about hours ago! You have my words that I will try my best to protect you, Stiles! Therefore, about your question, go ahead!**

Taken back by Itachi's surprisingly sincere and honest answer, Stiles suddenly realizes that Itachi was right! He does have magic now! Although still has a little skeptical about taking down anything and anyone gets in his way, Stiles is undoubtedly sure that his magic is powerful enough to protect himself! Besides, Stiles does have a thousand years old Dark-Fox-Spirit fighting by his side, so it has to be counted for something, right? 

Takes a deep breath, reaches out to his magic to be ready for anything that could happen, Stiles slowly moves forwards until he stands face to face with no one else but...the one and only - LYDIA! 

Before Stiles could say anything, Lydia has spoken first:

"Oh...Stiles...I had wanted to scream for you..."

\---------------------------

Confused by Lydia's statement, it takes Stiles a few seconds before he could speak again:

"Why? What...no...I mean...Why did you want to scream for you? Are you okay? And by the way, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What the hell am I doing here??? I don't fucking know, Stiles! I'm here because I had these fucking urge that led me here to look for someone that's going to die tonight! Which is you by the way! The urge that made me want to _scream_ ! The urge that drove me insane, okay! So, you tell me! What the hell am I doing _here_?"

Caught by surprise by Lydia's outburst, it takes Stiles a few moments to notice that Lydia is breaking down and sobbing on the ground. Rushing towards and kneeling before Lydia, holding her on his embraces, Stiles whispers:

"Hey...hey...I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry, Lydia! I was a dick and I'm truly sorry for that..."

It takes Stiles at least 10 minutes to calm Lydia down and soothe her enough to stop her from crying. Now, Stiles finally understands why people always say that tears are every woman's most powerful and manipulative weapon! God...Even though Stiles has realized that there won't be any romantic relationship between them, but he still loves her in a very platonic way...And it hurts watching her crying like this. 

Listening to Stiles's whispering attempted to calm her down, wiping tears off her cheeks, Lydia takes a moment to gather herself. Pulling out of Stiles's embraces, taking his offered hand to stand up, Lydia finally notices something really wrong about Stiles. Grabs Stiles's shirt, Lydia askes:

"Stiles! What is it? Is it blood?...Oh...my...god! It is blood, isn't it? Tell me! What happened?"

_God! Damned it! -_ Stiles cursed in his head. Naturally, Stiles wants to answer with a lie but Lydia saw it. Hence, she cuts him off before he could speak

"Don't! Do not lie to me, Stiles! I am not an idiot! I knew I'm not being bitten by a mountain lion! I knew something is wrong with the Hales and the Argents! I knew something weird is happening in this God's forsaken town! And I knew this is blood! So spare me your lies! And tell me! What happened?"

Tonight seems like the night that Stiles will be more speechless than usual (which is super rare, by the way)...

Lydia's words shot right through his heart making Stiles have to take a step back to look at Lydia. _Really_ look at her! What Stiles's seeing right now is not the Lydia he had seen and acknowledged for the past 16 years. The _Lydia Martin_ \- Stiles had known for 16 years is not the one standing in front of him right now. 

Lydia looked...horrible...She looked like a mess! Her eyes were so red! There's also the tiredness combined with something Stiles could only call "Feral" in her eyes. Her shoulders collapsed as if being burdened by the whole world. And she is so pale, too pale, that under the moonlight, she looked like a walking corpse...

Thinking back what Lydia said, Stiles realized that if anyone deserved the truth, it was her! And for all he heard, Stiles thinks Lydia might not be completely human after all. Besides, Stiles was really tired of lying anyway! So...Keeping his glance steady and looking straight to Lydia, Stiles speaks slowly but clearly: 

"Alright, Lydia! You were right! If anyone deserved the truth, it was you! But Lydia...I warn you...There is no turning back after I tell you everything. So...Are you sure you want to hear the truth?"

As brave as usual, taking a deep breath, Lydia keeps her head held high and her eyes steady on Stiles's face, she speaks:

"Tell me everything."

"Okay! I will tell you everything, but _before_ that, we need to get out of here! I need to come back to Allison's house! I will tell you on the way out, okay?"

"Why do you need to come back to Allison's house? Why...Fine! Let's go!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Let's go!"

\---------------------------


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here is the new chapter and I personally love this chapter! So I hope you will enjoy it too. <3
> 
> Note: 
> 
> \- I don't remember how many people were burnt alive in the Hale's Fire so I made it up. And given the fact that the Hales is a strong and ancient pack and a pack as old as the Hales, of course, has a lot of people. So:
> 
> => 10 adults + 4 teenagers + 3 kids = 17 people were in the house included Peter then + Laura + Derek = 19 people in total = 19 pack bonds
> 
> \- After the fire: Laura + Derek broke 17 pack bonds while Peter broke 19 pack bonds! 
> 
> \- [ text ] = Stiles communicates with Nemeton / Itachi through their bonds
> 
> \- Oh...Did I mention anything about slow burn? Because be ready! When I said slow burn, It will be super slowwwww...
> 
> Song: MILCK - Devil Devil
> 
> Link: https://youtu.be/jEMrDXP8vs4
> 
> \---------------------------------

And so they walk...

On the walk out of the Preserve, Stiles begins to tell Lydia everything... 

He told her about the beginning of the story, of how the feud between the Hales & the Argents began. He told her about Hunters & Werewolves, about the Hales and the Hale's Fire. About how they were killed in their own home just because of what they were even though they didn't do anything wrong. He told her about Kate Argent (Stiles spat out the name with so much hatred that Lydia never seen before). He told her about how Kate Argent seduced and raped and manipulated one minor person of the Hales for information then used that information to trap the Hales in their own home with werewolves, humans, children,...inside and set it ablaze and burnt them all to the ground. 

"That woman is the most disgusting human being ever! She is a psychotic insane maniac rapist manipulative murderer that I despised with all my guts! How on Earth there was a person like her that walked out without even a scratch after so many crimes she had committed? I just can't! Thankfully, she's dead! Six feet under the ground! May Hellfire burn her for eternity!" - Stiles spat out! 

Feeling his magic reacts to his anger, Stiles has to take a deep breath to calm down and to ease his magic. Then Stiles told Lydia about the 3 last remained Hales after the fire: Peter, Laura, and Derek.

"Laura and Derek survived the fire only because they had a homecoming party that night and didn't stay in the house. I don't really know how Peter could survive the fire but he was badly injured with Fourth-degree burns and went into a self-induced coma to heal. Peter watched his pack burnt to dead one by one...There were 10 adults, 4 teenagers, 3 kids in the house that night, Lydia. And all of them were dead right in front of Peter's eyes. For each of them died, a piece of Peter's, of Derek's and Laura's, died as well"

The more Stiles speaks, the paler Lydia becomes...He could see the horror in her eyes but he couldn't stop now, there is still so much of the story to be told. Lydia needs to hear all of them so that she could have a big clear picture, to understand what's really happening in this town. So he keeps speaking...

He explained to her what the pack bond is and what happen when the pack bond breaks. As Derek used to say, losing a pack bond is like losing a limb and that night, 3 last remained of the Hales lost all of them! 17 pack bonds were broke at the same time...It changed people...

That's why Laura & Derek, scared for their life, and with the loss of 17 broken pack bonds, had packed everything they had then left to New York and never look back! Leaving Peter - their uncle - behind in Beacon Hill where their pack had been slaughtered by hunters while suffering not only the pain of burning to death but also the pain of 18 broken pack bonds in a coma for 6 years! 

"Lydia, you had to know werewolf is a very tactile creature. They seek comfort in touching, hugging, and scenting...They seek comfort in their pack. A pack is a family for Werewolves and even more. Werewolves hunt with a pack and fight with a pack. When Laura and Derek left to New York, they not only abandoned their uncle, their blood, they also abandoned a Beta, abandoned their packmate. I'm not saying this to blame Derek but the fact is the fact!"

Stiles then told Lydia about pack hierarchy: Alpha - Beta - Omega. He told her that Laura inherited the Alpha's spark and became Alpha that night after her mom died. 

"I actually kind of surprise that Peter, after 6 years in a coma, abandoned by his packmate and Alpha, suffering the of the pain of 18 broken pack bonds and high on the power of Alpha's spark after killed Laura but still sane enough to only bite 2 people which were you & Scott, by the way. and only killed the people who to be blamed for the fire that slaughtered his pack. I got to say that bitting you without asking your permission first was wrong though. Derek said that the Bite was the gift but maybe Peter wasn't sane enough to consider it before he bit you? Maybe...I didn't know..."

Seeing the grimace on Lydia's face, Stiles then tells Lydia the story of how Scott was bitten and the Romeo & Juliet love story of Scott & Allison. Stiles told Lydia what happened at the night of Winter Balls

"That night was a mess. Long story shortened: you were bitten, I was kidnapped by a very insane Peter to track down Derek, only to find out that he was captured and tortured by a much more insane Kate Argent in his basement underneath his own house, well, what left of it. Anyway, then Peter ripped Kate Argent throat out by his bare hand and then was killed by Derek with the same method. Afterward, Derek became an Alpha. Oh, thank you for teaching me how to make Molotov cocktails by the way, because I had thrown Molotov cocktails at Peter and very much set him on fire to stop him...Wow...Thinking back, it was a very dick move of me..."

"You guys are...crazy..." - said Lydia breathlessly.

"Yeah...yeah...I knew that...It kept me awake at night!"

Stiles wish it was just a joke but unfortunately, Stiles did awake by nightmares after that night. Nightmares about the agonizing scream of Peter when Stiles set him on fire, about the blood was spilled out of Kate Argen's body or Peter's body when their throat was ripped out, about the motionless corpses laid down on the ground...Stiles didn't tell anyone but he thinks he had PTSD after that night...

Brushes off all of his conflicted emotions, he will deal with it later...or...maybe never. Stiles then tells Lydia about how Derek bit Erica, Boyd, and Issac after became an Alpha. About how Derek bit Vitoria while saved Scott's life after Victoria attempted to kill Scott with wolfbanes. After being bitten, Victoria killed herself because of some rubbish "hunter honor" which led to Allison's killing spree. Stiles could see Lydia shaking disbelieved when he tells her that Allison shot Erica and Boyd with arrows and captured them in the Argent's basement and then let Gerard Argent electrocuted them for "fun". 

"That's why I need to come back to Allison's house. I need to save them, Lydia!" 

"And how did you know that they were there in the first place? Unless..." - Narrowing her eyes, looking at his bruised face and his bloody shredded Lacrosse's shirt, the realization washes over her features making her face become pales...

"Oh...God...You were there with them, weren't you? Stiles...Tell me...Did Gerard and Allison do this to you?"

_Damned_! - Stiles hadn't meant to tell her about that! Stiles really does not want to talk about what happened between him and Gerard and his goons at all! Because if he talked about it, he would remember every pain he suffered in that basement and relive the near-dead experiences while bleeding out on the Nemeton...Therefore, he comes with the short version:

"No, this...this is all on Gerard...Trust me, Lydia! Gerard is as bad as Kate Argent! So stay away from him as far as possible, okay! Uhm...I really don't want to go into details so...Can we leave it?"

Seeing how uncomfortable and how shaking Stiles is, Lydia decides to have mercy on him and lets the matter drop...for now...

"Okay...If you say so...But we _will_ talk about it, Stiles! Because I felt your death, Stiles! And it's not fun!"

"Yeah...About that...What do you mean when you say you felt my...death?"

"It means that I _felt_ your death, Stiles...I had a feeling that you are gonna die tonight. There was an urge led to here to find you, to witness your death! What..happened to me, Stiles?"

"I...honestly...don't know. Did you be like that before?"

"After the Winter Balls, after Peter bit me...I'm starting to have visions, dreams about someone or something is going to die. There are voices whisper in my head about something that I could not understand. Especially tonight, I had a feeling that you're gonna die and I had an urge to find you to witness your death by screaming for you, Stiles! I also brought Peter Hale back to life after being haunted by him for months..." 

That makes Stiles stops walking and whips his head so fast to look at Lydia that Lydia scares he will have a stiff neck next morning

"WHAT! You brought Peter Hale back to life! WHAT THE HELL? How? When?"

"I don't know Stiles! He haunted me for months and then at my birthday party, he forced me to drug Derek with wolfsbane then dragged him to the Hale's house. Then _repeatedly_ sliced him open to bleed all over Peter's burnt corpse while chanting some words written in Ancient Latin. And then...Peter was brought back to life!" - Cried out, Lydia.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Peter, you...son of a bitch! I'm sorry Lydia! I'm so sorry that you had to be through something like this. Next time I see him, I'm gonna make him pay for it! I swear!"

Stepping forwards to awkwardly hug Lydia, Stiles makes a promise to make Peter pay for what he did...because Peter, for God's sake, WTF!!! 

It takes more than 5 minutes to both of them calm down enough to keep walking again. 

"Okay...For all of I have known about the Bite, after being bitten, you either turn or die and neither of them happened to you. But as you said, something weird is _clearly_ happening! Not to mention the fact that you brought Peter back to life by performing some rituals and last time I checked, _normal_ humans can not bring someone already dead for months back to the living realm...So you are definitely not human! I would say the Bite has changed you somehow...or..."

**Or awoken something lies dormant inside her.**

Stiles whips his head around to find his newfound Familiar - Itachi - hiding under the bushes behind them. God! He totally forgot about Itachi! If it wasn't because Itachi spoke in his head, Stiles didn't even realize that Itachi was trailing behind them all the way. 

Moving out of the shadow of the bushes and stepping closer to Lydia & Stiles, Itachi set its gaze on Lydia with fondness, excitement, and enthusiasm Stiles could clearly feel through their bonds. 

Only until then, Lydia finally notices a huge black fox is standing right in front of her. This fox is way bigger than any European Rex Fox she has ever seen, Its fur is so black that it melted into the night. She realizes that it had been trailing behind them all the way. Lydia doesn't know why but this huge black fox is extremely creepy and is giving her a very very bad feeling making her want to run for her life. But at the same time, it's giving her the feeling that she might call as..."tempting" making her being drawn to it. The conflicted emotions made Lydia extremely unsettled and irritated! 

Feeling the gaze of the fox set on her body, Lydia cocks her head to look at Stiles:

"Stiles...What is it?"

Panicked, Stiles doesn't know what to say. So normally he tries to brush it off and tells Lydia like it's not a big deal:

"Oh...Don't worry about him! He's sort of a...pet? Yeah! A pet! He's not gonna hurt you though! I'm sure about that! So...just...forget about him!"

An unimpressed look on Lydia's face given him making Stiles grimaces of realizing how blatant his lie is, not to mention the amusement Itachi sent through their bonds, which make it even worse...

**A...pet? Stiles...Really? Is it the best you could come up with?**

[ Oh, come on! What am I gonna say anyway? Tell her that you're a thousand years old dark-fox-spirit who wanted to eat my soul and use my body as a vessel not so long ago but failed then made a pact and became my Familiar? Nah! I don't think so! She already had enough for tonight, alright? So...yeah! A pet it is! ] - replied Stiles. 

**Fine! But next time...I expect you to call me your Familiar! Tell me a pet again? I'll kill you!**

[ Sure! I like to see you try! The pact! Remember? ]

**I will find my way! Just so you wait!**

"Uhm...Stiles..." - asked Lydia. 

Looking up to see the questioning look in Lydia's eyes, Stiles realizes he has been silently communicating with Itachi through the bonds making him became quiet for a while. _Wow, awkward!_ \- Stiles thought. 

"So you said that the Bite has changed me somehow or what?" - asked Lydia

Before Stiles could reply, Itachi talks again:

**Fascinating! Don't you sense it, Stiles? Her aura is so tempting! There is so much darkness, and sorrows, and coldness, and decays...and Death! It's all around her! Covered her body! Wow! I want to bath in this aura!**

That makes Stiles stops breathing for a second. Takes a deep breath, steady his gaze on Lydia, Stiles says:

"Lydia...I need a few minutes to do something, okay? So...just hang on, okay..."

"Okay..."

Turning his gaze to Itachi, Stiles demands with the most serious voice of his:

[ Itachi! I need you to teach me how to read the aura! ]

Itachi replies to Stiles's commanding by sending him all the visions and experiences of how to read and sense the aura of creatures through their bonds. Taking a moment to absorb it all in, closes his eyes, Stiles reaches out to his magic while focuses on all his senses. And with the ease of doing it like thousands of times, Stiles opens his eyes and pushes all of his senses forwards Lydia and _gasped_...he...sensed it! 

Lydia's aura is exactly like Itachi has described. In front of his eyes, Stiles could see her aura is like a silvery blanket covered all of her body. It's glowing and swirling and radiating powerfully with the color of silver and mercury. Despite all of that, there is so much darkness, and sorrows, and decays in it. Stiles could even feel the deadly coldness of the endless winter in her aura. And especially...Stiles could feel...Death! It's like Lydia has been favored, has been chosen by Death to become its ambassador! _Oh..._

"Lydia...I think I know what are you..." - said Stiles. 

Confused by the look on Stiles's face, Lydia replies:

"Really? What am I? Stiles, please tell me!"

"You are a...Banshee, Lydia!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the longest I have written so far!!!!! 6031 words! OMG! I didn't know how I could do it!!!! But I did it! Yay me!!!!!
> 
> Once again. It's a non-Beta story so any mistake is on me and please forgive me for it! Love u!
> 
> This song has been on my playlist since I found out it through Teenwolf! I just love this song! 
> 
> Song: Naughty Boy - No One's Here To Sleep ft Dan Smith Bastille
> 
> Link: https://youtu.be/JW6WOBk0cfE

**Stiles** : You are a...Banshee, Lydia!

One moment and then Stiles sees the realization washing over Lydia's face

**Lydia** : Banshee? The Wailing Woman?...Okay...I guess it makes sense. It certainly answers why I'm having the feeling about someone's dead lately and of course! The scream!!! How could I not figure it out?

**Stiles** : Well...Normally, ordinary people don't think they are a mythology creature after hearing things and feeling things that they don't understand. So...I think that's why. Also, Banshee origins in Irish so it explains your strawberry blond hair and your pale's skin...

Stiles has to stop because of the glare sent by Lydia

**Lydia** : But a werewolf's bite can not turn me into a Banshee right? And can you tell me something about Banshee? They predict dead right?

And here she is! The Lydia that Stiles had loved all those years. Despite being terrified of what she is, what she has turned into, Lydia is still smart and levelheaded enough to notice the flaw of the situation and gather information at the same time. 

**Stiles** : Yeah! It's correct! A werewolf's Bite can not turn you into a Banshee, but it could awake something lies dormant inside you... I don't know much about Banshee because they are...you are very rare! Like super rare! But I do know that a Banshee could not be made but has to be inherited! Which means that your heritage has to come from somewhere. And that "somewhere" means someone in your family or your family lines has to be a Banshee in order to the heritage could be passed down to you. I think you should look up to your family lines or ancestors, Lydia.

And now Lydia is in tears again which makes Stiles kinda freaks out. Is it because something he said? Or is it because of something else? Before Stiles could ask, Lydia says through the tears:

**Lydia** : My grandmother...Lorraine...she used to worked for IBM in San Francisco and was in love with a woman named Maddy, an award-winning yacht captain. One day she had a premonition that Maddy was going to die during a storm on the lake. She heard thunders and rainstorm so loud that shot through her head, made her let out the scream. She tried to warn Maddy but Maddy dismissed the warning and drowned while out on the lake...

**Stiles** : Oh God...I'm so sorry...

**Lydia** : No, Stiles...You don't understand. If Lorraine was a Banshee, and I am a Banshee then there is another Banshee out there and she needs help!

Now Stiles is confused! 

Because...for all he has known! Banshee is a rare creature. Banshee origins in Irish, they used to be called "woman of the fairy mound". They are some sort of Fae, the Upper Fae that answers to the Winter Court. They herald the death of supernatural creatures, of a family member and their loved one, usually by wailing, shrieking, or keening. Banshee is a predictor of death, they associate with Death and favored by Death - Banshee is Death's ambassador!

But now...now Lydia told him that there is another Banshee? How could it happen? Since when there is so many of them?

**Stiles** : WHAT? What do you mean? There is another Banshee? Who is she? How do we help her? What happened to her?

**Lydia** : You ask too many questions, Stiles! The other Banshee, her name is Meredith Walker. My grandmother, after Maddy died, she began to dive into the supernatural to find out why and how she knew Maddy was going to die before it happened, she even built a study with pseudo-scientific properties with parapsychologists but still found no answers. Until...she found Meredith. My parents...They didn't know that I knew about what my grandmother did. A silly little girl...What could she know? But I knew it all...I overheard that my grandmother experimented on Meredith and almost killed her. I found out that Meredith was hospitalized for over a year and then internment in Eichen House until now. If she was a Banshee like me, then I need to help her get out of there! She didn't deserve to be locked up like this...

Stiles could see that Lydia is clearly and extremely uncomfortable talking about her grandmother's crimes which were the experimented on an innocent girl. But she brushed it all off to tell the whole story... 

**Stiles** : Okay! Okay! Tomorrow, I will send you everything I knew about Banshee, and then together, _we_ will get Meredith out of Eichen House, alright? But right now we need to go to save Boyd and Erica, okay?

**Lydia** : Okay, you're right!

And when they're walking again, Stiles starts telling Lydia about the killings lately, about how Jackson involved in those murders and especially Matt Daehler's involvement in those murders as well. When Stiles tells Lydia that Jackson is a Kanima - a mutation of the werewolf gene, a vengeance creature created when the Bite went wrong, she goes paler...Then Stiles tells Lydia that the Kanima is a social creature but where the wolf seeks a pack, the Kanima seeks a master that has vengeance needed to be avenged! Which means that Jackson didn't aware of what he has done. He's just a weapon being used by his master. When hearing that Jackson couldn't control himself and had to murder people against his wills, Lydia is furious! Oh! Furious is an understatement! Lydia is _livid_! Stiles could sense her aura swirling with so much rage that he worries she will explode in the next second. 

**Lydia** : MATT DAEHLER! I'm going to kill that bitch!

**Stiles** : And I will help you to burry the body!

Looking at each other, they found an agreement in each other eyes. With a smirk on both of their faces, Stiles and Lydia begin to feel more comfortable with each other. And finally...They find the black SUV car belonged to Gerard's goons! They didn't find out Lydia's car though. Most of it was because Stiles has followed the trail left behind while Gerard's goons dragged him through the Preserve, another reason was a hunch told Stiles it's better to drive Gerard's goons car. Normally his hunch was correct so this time, he follows it. 

**Lydia** : Whose car is it?

**Stiles** : Gerard's goons car...Give me a minute and then we could get going. 

**Lydia** : What about my car? I'm not going to leave my car in the Preserve, Stiles.

**Stiles** : I know that it's not a good idea to leave your car here, but somehow I have a hunch that it's better to drive this car than yours. Please, trust me on this, okay?

**Lydia** : Fine! But tomorrow, you will drive me here to collect my car. 

**Stiles** : Deal! 

Getting close to the front door of the car, focusing on his magic, little twist in his wrist, Stiles wills to the front door opens, and with a _crack_ , it now wides open to get in. Inwardly fist bumps, Stiles told himself that he _fucking_ loves magic! Repeating the action to open the back door and wait until Itachi to get in, Stiles closes all the door and then begins to hot-wire the car into motion. Knowing what Lydia would say by the amused look and single raised eyes brown, Stiles cuts her off:

**Stiles** : I was bored! 

**Lydia** : I didn't say anything! 

**Stiles** : You don't have to. Your face says it all! 

**Lydia** : Fine! But it's impressed though! The Sheriff's kid knew how to hot-wire a car...Hmm...

**Stiles** : What can I say? You wouldn't know if this kind of knowledge will come in handy! Also, you could learn pretty much everything on the Internet and hot-wire a car is sound useful at the time! So...Here we are! 

**Lydia** : You do have a point...Teach me next time, okay?

**Stiles** : Really?...Okay! I will even teach you how to lock picking. 

**Lydia** : Wow...Stiles! You do know a few...illegal things, don't you! I'm impressed! 

Doesn't reply, Stiles drives them out of the Preserve and head to Allison's house instead...

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The drive to Allison's house is filled with an uncomfortable silence. In other different circumstances, normally Stiles will fill the silence with his nonstop talking about meaningless subjects, but this time, Stiles keeps his mouth shut and lets the silence filled the car. Most of it was because Stiles is thinking about what he should tell Lydia next. He has already told her about the whole story of the Hales & the Argents, already told her about everything and everyone involved in the supernatural for the past year and past few months. Stiles knew Lydia has questions...a lot of questions actually! But he doesn't feel like answering any personal questions right now. And then, suddenly Stiles knows what he should...need to say next.

**Stiles** : Lydia...I need to tell you something...I don't how to say it...but I know it's something that needs to be said and I think it needs to be said now. I think...

**Lydia** : Stiles! Just tell me what you need to say! I'm listening. 

**Stiles** : Okay...Uhm...Uh...I am sorry, Lydia! 

Cocks her head to look at Stiles, Lydia says:

**Lydia** : And what is it that you need to say sorry for?

**Stiles** : I'm sorry for being a dick to you, Lydia...I've just realized that I was those men that didn't take NO for the answers. I thought I'm better than them but apparently, I'm not! I should have taken your decline more seriously. You had repeatedly said that you had no interest in me and I refused to believe it. And I'm sorry to stalking you ever since. It wasn't very nice of me and I'm sorry! Also, it's none of my business whether you were in love with Jackson or not, I should have been respected your decision, and for that I'm sorry...

Taken back by Stiles's apologies, Lydia takes a minute for those apologies to sink in. Yes! It had been really annoyed and irritating and frustrated when Stiles did not take NO for the answers and it was awfully uncomfortable when Stiles had been stalking her for years ever since. Lydia loves attention but Stiles's stalking and attention had put her on edges. But right now, it's all in the past...Looking at Stiles, Lydia realizes that he has grown up and more mature.

**Lydia** : Apologies accepted! I forgive you! 

**Stiles** : Thank you for forgiving me. So...we're good, right? 

**Lydia** : Yes, Stiles! We're good! And Stiles, do not ever do that again! Or I will end you! 

**Stiles** : Oh! Trust me! It'll never happen again! Finger crossed on that! So...friends?

**Lydia** : Yeah! Friends! Also, Stiles...I'm sorry for not being nice to you too. I should have but I didn't...For that I'm sorry. 

**Stiles** : Oh...Never mind! I got it coming! But I still think Jackson is a dick though! 

Now that makes Lydia laughing for the first time this night

**Lydia** : I knew he was a dick, Stiles! But...He was my _dick_!... And now...He's gone...

**Stiles** : I don't really know what to say, Lydia...My condolences...

Lydia doesn't say anything but nodding her head to acknowledge his statement...

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turning the car to stop in front of Allison's house, hopping out of the car, Stiles notices that all the light was out and no sound was made from the inside so he hopes that no one is in the house. Because it will make his break in much easier! Thankfully he was correct. When Stiles wills his magic to open the main door, Stiles finds no one in the house at all. Stiles doesn't know if it was because the Argents are too arrogant or it was because the Argents are too confident and believe that no supernatural creatures dare to break in their house due to their name and their reputation...But Stiles finds it extremely easy to break in! Too easy actually! Stiles won't complain though...It certainly made his job ten times easier, so...hell yeah! He's absolutely gonna take it! 

Seeing the strange and questioning look on Lydia's eyes when he opens the Argent's main door without lock picking it, Stiles knows that Lydia has suspicious about his magic but he doesn't want to talk to about it right now...So he tells Lydia:

**Stiles** : Don't ask! I will tell you later! I promise! 

**Lydia** : Hmm...You're better, Stiles. Because I'm looking up for it! 

Opening the main door and wasting no time, Stiles leads himself and Lydia down to the basement. Turning on the light and Stiles finds...nothing! 

The basement looks exactly the same as Stiles remembered. Of course, it will look the same! Why wouldn't it be? He didn't go for too long anyway. There is blood everywhere all over the basement and Stiles sure his blood is in it as well. The tortured equipment...a lot of them to be correct...is still in places. The electrocution equipment is still hanging on above the cellar...But besides all of that...There is no sight of Erica & Boyd! 

Oh God! Oh God!!!! Is he too late? He has to be too late! He has to! Because there is no sight of Erica & Boyd! He came too late to save them! And now they were dead! They have to be! Gerard knew they won't say anything about the pack because their bonds to Derek, to their Alpha, are too strong to betray him & the pack. And of course, Gerard wouldn't let them be free...Why would he? He hated Werewolves for all of his beings! Which means that Gerard killed them all! He got rid of them just like he ordered his goons to get rid of Stiles. And now...now they were all dead because of Stiles could not come sooner to rescue them...This are all his faults...

Stiles couldn't breathe...His heart is beating so fast and he knows he is having a panic attack but he couldn't help it, doesn't want to...because it's all his faults...

Right before Stiles has a fulfill panic attack, Lydia steps in front of Stiles's sight and grips his shoulder so hard that Stiles knows it will leave bruises tomorrow...But it's the least problem Stiles has to worry about because Erica & Boyd were dead...

**Lydia** : Hey! Stiles! Hey!!!! Snaps out of it! We don't have time for it! You could have your meltdown later when all of this shit is over! But you need to listen to me, Stiles! Erica & Boyd are not _dead_! I'm a Banshee, remember? If they died, I would have known! And right now, I do not feel their death. I didn't feel anything, okay? 

Now that caught Stiles's attention! 

God! He's such an idiot! Lydia _is_ a Banshee! He has a **_Banshee_ **on his side for God's sake! What wouldn't he think about it before having a panic attack? WTF is wrong with him?

**Stiles** : Argents...

**Lydia** : What? What's about the Argents? 

Stumbling to stand up on his feet, Damned it! He doesn't even remember when he has sat down...Stiles answers Lydia's questions:

**Stiles** : You're a genius, Lydia! Did I mention it before? I already had, right?

**Lydia** : Stiles...

**Stiles** : Yeah! Yeah! An unnecessary joke at an inappropriate time! Sorry! What I meant is that you're absolutely correct! You _are_ a Banshee! You could foresee the supernatural's death! Which means that you could foresee Erica & Boyd's death! Because they're...well...Werewolves! But you didn't feel anything equals they're still alive and are somewhere else! And to know that "somewhere", I need information and to have information, I need to ask someone. Since this is Argent's house! So...

**Lydia** : You need to ask the Argents! 

**Stiles** : Correct! And since there is no one in the house...Lydia...please help me to find my phone. It was taken from me when...well...when Gerard's minions kidnapped me! 

The look on Lydia's eyes reminds Stiles that after all this shit is over, they will have a long and uncomfortable talk about the kidnapping and the blood on his shirt and the torture equipment in the basement that might or might not be used on his body. Stiles would love to postpone this conversation as long as possible...maybe never...

Maybe because Gerard's goons are too stupid or maybe because they didn't give a shit about Stiles...It only took them 2 minutes to find Stiles's phone lying on the table with a bunch of torture equipment in the rightest corner of the basement. And thank Gods & Goddesses above and below, his phone is still working. Opens his phone, Stiles sees 19 missed calls and a lot of unread messages. Opens the lastest one sent by Scott, Stiles let out a curse:

**Stiles** : OH! SHIT! 

**Lydia** : Stiles? What is it? What happened?

Instead of answering the questions, Stiles simply shows Lydia the message on the screen and then it's Lydia let out the curse this time:

**Lydia** : FUCK! 

On the phone screen, there is Scott's message:

**Scott's message** : STILES! Where r u? Why didn't you pick up your phone? Jackson is alive! Peter & Derek know how to save Jackson! Brings Lydia with you to the warehouse! Asap! 

Stiles opens the attached GPS of the warehouse that was sent with the message to memorize the warehouse's address, he looks up to ask Lydia:

**Stiles** : Lydia...Are you okay? 

**Lydia** : Am I okay? I just found out all the monsters are real and that my supposedly dead boyfriend was a humanoid lizard and then found out that he is not dead anymore! I feel fucking _fantastic_! 

**Stiles** : Okay...

Takes a deep breath to calm herself down, Lydia tells Stiles:

**Lydia** : I'm sorry! You're just being nice and I shouldn't have to be like that!

**Stiles** : It's alright! Not everyone finds out all the monsters are real and they're not 100% human as they thought and then finds out that their _supposedly_ dead boyfriend is a humanoid lizard and is not dead anymore on the same day right? Considering everything, I say you've done a fantastic job of holding yourself together! Well done!

And that made Lydia let out a chuckle 

**Lydia** : Whatever...I still shouldn't take my frustration on you like this! By the way...Thank you, Stiles! I meant it! 

**Stiles** : You're welcome! 

**Lydia** : Alright, we should get going. Scott sounded very urgent!

**Stiles** : Yeah! We should probably get going. Oh, WAIT! I need to grab a few things first! 

Doesn't wait for Lydia, Stiles has already on his way out of the basement. Running up the upstairs with Lydia's silently following, it takes Stiles a few minutes to pinpoint Gerard's room. Opens the door easily with his magic, Stiles waits no time to start searching while suffering the unimpressed and amusement look of Lydia. And...he found it! Kept in the safe hidden behind the wardrobe that was opened by Stiles's magic which required a lot more concentration and a lot more magic...Stiles is now holding on the Argent's Bestiary! 

**Lydia** : Stiles...What is it? 

Turning over to smile at Lydia, Stiles says:

**Stiles** : This, Lydia, is the Argent's Bestiary! 

**Lydia** : A Bestiary?

**Stiles** : Yeah! A leather-bound book that contained a lot of information of supernatural creatures collected by the Argents over the years by generations after generations! This is the Argents heirloom! 

**Lydia** : And why are you stealing it now? Also, how did you know about it in the first place?

**Stiles** : I am not stealing it! I just borrowed it for the time being without the permission of the owners and then returned it after I created hardcopies and softcopies out of it! I knew of it by overheard Allison talking about it. And before you say anything, it had information about the Kanima that might help us to save Jackson! Knowledge is power, right?

Right there and then, Stiles knew he won the battle! 

Lydia is so many things but stupid is definitely not one of them! If anyone could understand the concept of "Knowledge is power", it would be Lydia & him...and maybe Peter as well since he is now _alive_! Unlike Scott and the wolves, Stiles does not want to run straight to the battle without knowing what the fuck he's gonna do! Stiles always has the plans... 

Opens the Bestiary and leers through the book, Stiles stops when he found the pages with the illustrations of the Kanima. Seeing the language written on the pages, Stiles looks up to Lydia and asks:

**Stiles** : Lydia...You read Archaic Latin, right?

**Lydia** : How did you even know that I read...You know what? Nevermind! Yes! I can read Archaic Latin! Why did you ask?

**Stiles** : I asked because...I need you to read this for me! It's all written in Archaic Latin! Here! Take a look! 

Passing the Beasitary to Lydia and yes! It's all written in Archaic Latin with several illustrations of the Kanima making she swallows hard...

**Lydia** : Okay...There isn't much information about the Kanima because apparently, they are quite rare. It said: 

"The Kanima is a mutation of the Werewolf gene that cannot fully transform until it resolves that in its past which manifests it." 

"Like the Wolf, the Kanima is a social creature, but where the Wolf seeks a pack, the Kanima seeks a master."

"The Kanima, a weapon of vengeance, is used to carry out the bidding of its master. The Kanima was once used by a South American priest who took it upon himself to rid his village of all murderers. The bond between master and servant grew stronger until the will of the master became that of the Kanima's and whomever the priest deemed unworthy, the Kanima served his vengeance."

**Lydia** : And it also said that the Kanima has a Beta and an Alpha's form. Here! Look at it! This is the Alpha's form of the Kanima! 

**Stiles** : WHAT THE FUCK! It has wings! Okay...Did it mention anything to save Jackson?

Leering through the pages again, Lydia says disappointedly:

**Lydia** : No...There is nothing in here telling us how to save Jackson...All of them was how to _kill_ the Kanima...

**Stiles** : NO! We are not going to kill Jackson until it is the last resort! He is a douchebag but he doesn't deserve to die! We find something else! There has to be another way! 

**Itachi** : I knew the way...

Startled, Stiles almost jumped into the air after hearing Itachi's voice echoing inside his head. Turning back to find Itachi is now lying uncaring on four legs at Gerard's room door, Stiles says to Itachi through the bonds:

**Stiles** : FUCK! I swear to God! After all of this shit is over, I will find a bell and put it on you! Also, what did you mean that you knew the way?

Looking at Stiles with an unimpressed look, Itachi says:

**Itachi** : Put a bell on me and then I will rip you to pieces! I _said_ I knew the way to save your Kanima! 

Now that has caught Stiles's attention:

**Stiles** : Really? How? Besides, Jackson is not _my_ Kanima! 

**Itachi** : First of all...Most of the information on the Kanima in that Bestiary is incorrect! Maybe it was because the Hunters didn't give a shit about the creatures that they are going to kill or maybe it was because they did a very shitty job on researching...Anyway, the information is incorrect! You had already known that my origins in East Asia [ So Stiles was wrong! He thought Itachi's origin was Japan & China ]. Therefore, most of my knowledge and experiences are about Asia's mystical creatures, and spirits, and Asia's rituals, and Asia's magic...But I knew enough about the Kanima to tell you that the Kanima is not a mutation of the Werewolf gene! It doesn't have to be the Werewolves' Bite, the Kanima could be created by any other shapeshifter's Bite as well. All it needs is the spark of the Bite to activate the transformation of the Kanima. 

Looking straight at Stiles, Itachi continues:

**Itachi** : Let me tell you one thing, Stiles...The Kanima was created in times of need. And this God's forsaken town is a Hellmouth! There are so many bloodsheds in this town that no wonder why the Kanima was created in the first place. Tell me, Stiles! What are you gonna do if all of your family, your friends, and your loved one were killed by someone or something that too powerful for you to fight back? And then, one day, there is a Kanima seeks you out to be its Master and offers you a chance to get your revenge! Tell me, Stiles...What will you do?

There is no point in lying to your Familiar, right? So Stiles answers Itachi's questions honestly:

**Stiles** : I will take it! 

And then Stiles realizes the point that Itachi was trying to make...

**Itachi** : Now you understand! The Kanima is not a bad creature. They are the creature of vengeance. They are the chance for someone to get their revenge. They are the chance to right the wrongs...For all I knew, yes, the Kanima is the weapon of vengeance but they are not a _mindless_ weapon! Normally, the Kanima only seeks out their Masters after their transformation had already finished. Only then, the Kanima will choose its Masters with its free wills. I don't know what wrong with your Kanima but something has to go wrong when he's transforming. I believe that your Kanima had chosen his Master while he's still in his Beta's form. Which shouldn't happen until he transforms into his Alpha's form! I also believe that your Kanima became a mindless monster was because his transformation was interfered with. 

With all of the information that was nicely provided by Itachi...Now Stiles knows the way to save Jackson...

**Stiles** : All I have to do is re-activating the Kanima's transformation with the Bite and then keep the transformation out of any interference! 

**Itachi** : As astute as ever! You're correct! But there's still one problem left!

**Stiles** : There is? 

**Itachi** : As I said, the transformation of your Kanima had been interfered with, making him became a mindless weapon. Technically, the transformation was easy and natural because the spark of the Bite will do the job. But there would be no guarantee that the second transformation could succeed because all of his awareness and humanity had been suppressed because of the failure of the former transformation...Therefore, If you want to save your Kanima by re-activating the transformation, you had to bring forwards his awareness and ground his humanity and also cut all of his ties with his Master! 

**Stiles** : And to succeed something like that, Jackson has to be bound to someone or something that strong and important enough to ground his humanity after using something to bring out his awareness. 

Right there and then, Stiles realizes that he has all of the "ingredients" to make it happen! 

Turning back to Lydia only to find out that she has been looking at his silently communicating with Itachi the whole time without saying a word. Having no time to worry about that, Stiles says with a grin on his face:

**Stiles** : I think...NO! I _know_ how to save Jackson! 

Suprised, Lydia asks immediately with the eagerness she doesn't even notice she has:

**Lydia** : Really? How? 

**Stiles** : You...

Stiles was cut off by a message pop up on his phone said that:

**Scott's message** : Hurry up! Brings Lydia! 

Looking back to Lydia, Stiles says:

**Stiles** : Okay! I think we should get going! I will tell you on the way! 

**Lydia** : Okay! 

They head out of the house and only stop for Stiles to collect Gerard's laptop, a jar of Moutain Ash, and a pair of guns that were fully armed with wolfsbane bullets. 

**Stiles** : Do you know how to shoot?

**Lydia** : I don't! Do you?

**Stiles** : My dad is the Sheriff, Lydia! Of course, I do know how to shoot. 

**Lydia** : Really?

**Stiles** : Yes! Here! Just take it! For protection only, okay? Shoot whatever on the way that tries to harm you! And remember to unlock the safety before shooting. Let me show you! 

Then, Stiles shows Lydia how to unlock and relock the safety of the guns while heading out of the house and getting in the black SUV car. Afterward, Stiles drives as fast as he can to the warehouse! Stiles knows his dad will flip when he finds out that his son not only stole a car but also broke into a civilian's house and then stole a lot of things that worth a fortune. Furthermore, he even stole a pair of guns & knives that fully armed with magical herbs and broke several traffic laws by breaking speed limits and crossing the red lights...

_God_! Since when Stiles became such a naughty boy!!! God saves his soul!... Or not! He would likely be sent to Hell anyway! And he would prefer it this way if it meant that his friends would be safe! Then so be it! 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While bullying the accelerator pedal, Stiles begins to telling Lydia about his plan:

**Stiles** : Alright! I don't know why but since Scott said that Peter & Derek knew how to save Jackson and _insisted_ to bring you to the warehouse, I suggest we at least follow their plan first. And if it worked, then great! Problems solved! 

**Lydia** : And what if it didn't work?

**Stiles** : Then we have to go with my plans! Which will be involved a lot of blood and pain and maybe even murdering someone or something... 

**Lydia** : Alright...Tell me your plans, Stiles! I'm listening! 

Turning back to see the determination and the faith in Lydia's look, Stiles has never felt more grateful to have Lydia as his friend like right now! Maybe it is because her boyfriend's life depends on his plans or maybe she thinks Stiles's plans are much more practical or maybe she doesn't trust Peter & Derek enough to follow their plans blindly because of the lacking information or maybe she knows that something has to be done to save her boyfriend and she is willingly doing it or...Maybe it is because of all of that...Anyway...Despite just saying that his plans will be involved a lot of blood and pain and maybe even murdering someone or something, Lydia still goes with it! And this is what matters to him! Stiles just needs someone to see and value his abilities and his inputs! And Lydia gives him that so he will take it without being ungrateful! 

**Stiles** : Okay! So hear me out! I will say it all...So...If you had questions, just asked later okay? My plans will be extremely complicated required 4 steps to succeed: 

**Steps 1** : Bring forwards his awareness or consciousness or his soul or whatever...I don't know...by using your Banshee's scream! I know you new to your power but believe me, Lydia! Your Banshee's scream will bring his awareness forwards. Because when you scream, you infuse your scream with the power of Death! Any supernatural creatures and magic practitioners could sense it in their bones and their instinct to survive will kick in. That would also be applied for the Kanima! Creature of Vengence or not! Jackson will fear Death! 

**Steps 2** : Break all of Jackson's ties to his Master by _killing_ the Master or by using magic. It means that we have to kill Matt Daehler or I have to break all the ties manually with my magic. Surprise! I have magic! Don't ask! The story for another time! _However_ , If I had to break all of Jackson's ties to his Master by myself manually, it's gonna be very painful for Jackson. Besides, the spell to break the ties is extremely complicated that I don't know whether I could do it or not! Backfire magic is not a joke and it is extremely dangerous! One wrong step? I & Jackson will have a vacation in Paradise and I am _not_ looking up for it...Therefore, I suggest we kill Matt Daehler! Easier and much more practical!

**Steps 3** : The awareness will not be enough for Jackson to stay sane. Therefore, we have to ground his humanity by bidding him to someone or something strong and important enough for Jackson to anchor his humanity.

**Steps 4** : To maintain Jackson's humanity, we have to re-activated the transformation by using the Bite of an Alpha's Werewolf. Right now, there is only one Alpha's Werewolf in Beacon Hills which is Derek. Hence, we have to convince him to give Jackson the Bite...again! Furthermore, the transformation could not be interfered with by anything or anyone and given the fact that Jackson will wrap himself in a cocoon created by his venoms and could not be moved or moving! I have to protect the place he nests by warding it to Hell and back! It will take days or weeks for the transformation to finish, so you might have to tell Mister and Miss Whittemore about everything. Because I will not let my dad lose his job due to Jackson's scale-ly problems.

Takes a deep breath to regain his breath, Stiles turns around to talk to Lydia and then focuses on the road again:

**Stiles** : Okay! Q & A time! I'm all ear! 

Few minutes passed without any questions, Stiles turns back to see the amusement and impression in Lydia's eyes. 

One blink... 

Second blink...

Third blink...

And then Lydia begins to talk:

**Lydia** : I am impressed! You do certainly think it through and have all the plans, don't you? Okay! Questions time! First of all, are you sure...I could scream? I mean...the Banshee's scream, of course! Because, as you said, I'm new to this Banshee business! 

**Stiles** : Oh! Don't worry about that! You might not sense it but your Banshee's power had already activated. Your aura is powerful, Lydia! It's all over your body! Unlike Spellcasters which is me by the way, who need practice and time and knowledge to perfect their magic and skills, you don't need that! It's your instinct! All you need to do is acting on your instinct and believe it'll work! Because it will! If you didn't trust yourself that you could do it, then trust me! I know what I'm talking about! 

Seeing the affirmation in Stiles's eyes and the determination in the way Stiles speaks, Lydia feels much more confident...

**Lydia** : Okay! If you say so...Besides, Magic? Spellcasters? Oh, Stiles! We will have a very long talk after all this shit is over! And don't even think about forget it! Next! How could we ground Jackson's humanity? 

Stiles looks at Lydia with a worried look in his eyes making Lydia feels concerning:

**Stiles** : It's actually the part that I feel concerning the most... I do know a way to ground Jackson's humanity... But there is a cost, a big one...that I don't know we could afford...

**Lydia** : What is it, Stiles? You begin to make me feel worrying here...Just, tell me what is it?

**Stiles** : Alright! To ground Jackson's humanity, we have to bind him to someone or something strong and important enough to anchor him. And I don't think any physical objects could be important enough for Jackson. Because...well...As you know, he is a dick! Therefore, it has to be someone really important to him! Which is...you, Lydia! I know a spell to bind 2 souls together that will help to ground his humanity...

**Lydia** : Tell me about the spell, Stiles...

**Stiles** : A spell I use required 2 partners that are supernatural creatures or have magic for it to work. It will bind 2 souls together and will create a soulmate bond between the two of you. This spell will create an unbreakable bond with no loopholes. Unlike human marriage, there will be no turning back after I perform the spell...You and Jackson will be bound together _forever_. This is huge, Lydia...

**Lydia** : I do it! 

**Stiles** : What...

**Lydia** : I said...I do it! Whatever it takes! 

**Stiles** : Okay...For you...I do the spell...

Wow...It hurts...Even though Stiles knew Lydia didn't love him and there will be no chance for any romantic relationship between them. Although he might not love her as much as he thought, she was...is a huge part of his life until now. Therefore, hearing her accept to bind herself to Jackson forever still hurt like a bitch...

**Lydia** : One last question! I will talk with Jackson's parents and tell them everything...But...How about your dad? Did he know? Will you tell him?

**Stiles** : Yeah...He doesn't know but...Yeah...I think I will tell him...I should be...He deserves to know...

And there is it! With one last left turn, Stiles finally reach the warehouse!

**Stiles** : Holds on tight, Lydia! We have lost too many times already. So, I will make it quick! 

With one last warning, Stiles drives straight through the warehouse's wall and crashes right to the Kanima on the way! 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking too long to update this chapter! Originally, it's a very long chapter but I have to break it in half. Therefore, I will update the next chapter sooner because I almost finish it. 
> 
> Anyway! Please enjoy! And don't forget to wear a mask and wash your hand! Stays safe everyone! Love u!
> 
> Note: Song in the end

Derek feels like such an idiot! 

He should have known better than put his trust in Scott! No...He should have known better than put his trust in anyone!!! He thought he had already grown up, he thought he learned lessons years ago to not trust anyone anymore but...Apparently, He still a weak naive and easy to manipulate boy...just like 7 years ago. 

Since he was younger, Derek knows better than anyone about the problem with being born as a middle child which was being looked over...

There was Laura, his older sister, the oldest daughter that was destined to become an Alpha after his mother. Laura and their mother were just so much alike... Therefore, Laura would always be their mother's favorite, always had their mother's attention, always came first in her decisions...because...well...Laura was the Alpha's heir after all. 

Don't get him wrong, he loved Laura! She was always being there for him no matter the circumstances. Even before the fire and after that, when they had to run for their lives, abandoned their centuries old's territory and lived in the shitty apartment in New York for preventing any chance to be seen by anyone that could turn our to be Hunters,...Even then, Laura always had his back. And sure, Derek was perfectly fine and contented with being her Second and her Beta. But...

He wished that their mother could pay more attention to him as well...Because...He needed her comfort and her love for him, he needed his mother after all... He needed her comfort when he had his heart broken into pieces by losing and killing his first love by himself to end her misery... He needed her comfort when he had his trust was shattered by the betrayal of his beloved uncle...But sadly...It wasn't the case...

And there was Cora...the youngest child in their family...his younger sister...She was just a delight in every way as possible. He loved her...as everyone else in the pack. Due to being the youngest, Cora had everyone's attention and care and love because...well...she needed them. All that attention, all that caring, all that love didn't apply for him since he didn't _need_ them anymore...Because he was a _teenager_...But...The fact is...He did need them...But that also wasn't the case...

Because...They had all burnt to the ground...Thanks to him! 

Because of his naive characteristic...

Because he was such an idiot that could not notice the threat to his pack that was right in front of his eyes... 

Because he too easy to put his trust in people... 

Because he trusted the wrong person named Kate Argent led to the result that all of his pack, his family, his mother, his sisters...all of them had burnt to the ground!

There were the days when he was a brat with manner, the days when he still felt the joy of finding the first love that he was so sure will be "THE ONE", the days when he was a Captain of the Basketball team of Beacon Hills High School, the days when he still could laugh easily...All of them were being fumigated by the smoke of his burnt house with his pack burnt inside as well, caused by his crazy-ex-girl friend! All of that good old memories were being replaced by the pain and the anger and hatred and regretful that now covered his soul...

And after all of that...He thought he learned! But just like a joke as his life was, here he is, being betrayed once again no one by Scott McCall. The one he thought could be his Beta...one day. When Derek was being forced to bite Gerard Argent, he felt his trust break. When Scott told him that Derek was not his Alpha, Derek once again felt the very faint pack bond between them break in half.

Afterward, Derek realizes that not only he is an idiot but he also failed as an Alpha! One of his Beta - Jackson - is now a humanoid lizard shapeshifter that was trying to kill Derek with all of his beings. Two of his Beta - Erica & Boyd - abandoned him to look for another _better_ Alpha. The one Derek had hoped to be his Beta one day is now officially rejected him as an Alpha. And there is Isaac...Derek is not blind to not see that Issac prefers to be with Scott than to be with him...It's only a matter of time until Issac leaves him too...

Derek doesn't what he has done wrong for everything became like this. Or maybe everything he did was wrong. Maybe his mother was right...He was not meant to be an Alpha...

Seeing the scenes in front of him, seeing the battle all of them fighting against Jackson, against the Kanima...Derek knows for sure there will be no chance for them to win! The Kanima is too strong for them to fight back. Looks at the Kanima, Derek not only sees the abomination created by him but also sees the invincible weapon with the only purpose of killing them all. 

Seeing the deadly look in the Kanima's eyes while looking at him, Derek knows this is it...This is how he's gonna die! Being killed by the creature created by him and was controlled by his enemy. Derek thinks it's a great way to die and a good day to die as well...After all, he deserves it! Finally...He could pay for his sins.

Just before the Kanima could jump forwards and rips him apart, Derek hears the big crack! Next thing he knows, there is a black SUV car drives straight through the warehouse's wall and crashes to the Kanima making it bounce back a few meters!

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If anyone told him that he is a terrible terrible driver a few days ago, Stiles would laugh to their face and then tell them that he is a fantastic driver! Because of two reasons:

1, His dad is the Sheriff so he has to...would love to...and has the responsibility to maintain his dad's imagined by driving safe.

2, After his mom died, there are only Stiles & his dad. Therefore, Stiles has to keep himself from all the danger of traffic accidents to be alive and to be there for his dad as long as possible. 

But right now...Stiles is not so sure...

Knowing that they are running in the borrowed time, so instead of stopping the car on the sideway in front of the warehouse and then running into it to find Derek & Scott & Issac and everyone, Stiles just simply tests his luck by smashing his foot to the accelerator pedal with full force while aiming straight to the warehouse's wall and then drives straight to it! 

Lucky for Stiles, the part of the wall that he drives straight to is kinda slim and easy to break down! So with a big crack, Stiles finds himself & Lydia & the car now in the warehouse. Even luckier when Stiles realizes that he somehow crashed right to Jackson making him bounce back a few meters while also stopping Jackson from the attempt of tearing Derek limb from limb. 

Wasting no time, grabbing the jar of the Mountain Ash, Stiles opens the car door then runs forwards to smash the jar right next to Jackson. And then willing all of the Mountain Ash into the perfect circle to create the barrier! Having no ideas whether the Mountain Ash's barrier could contain Jackson or not, as usual as being his paranoid self and to prevent Jackson from succeeding the escape out of the barrier, Stiles reaches out for his magic and then feeds a huge amount of his magic with tons of belief to the barrier! 

Right there and then, Stiles believes he had created the most perfect Moutain Ash's barrier ever! Nothing can get in and nothing can get out without his permission! Even for humans and their firearms and their weapons! Hunters could all suck it! 

Afterward, Stiles turns back to find everyone is looking at him & Lydia with the incredulous look on their faces. And...As usual, Scott is the first one to talk:

**Scott** : STILES! Did you just slam your car to Jackson? 

Now Stiles is annoyed!!!

**Stiles** : Well...Hello to you too! How am I? I'm fantastic! 

Stiles really should have known better! As naive as usual, Scott doesn't notice the blood on Stiles's shredded shirt, the bruised all over his face, the smell of lingering blood stuck on his skin and worst of all, Scott doesn't even notice that Stiles was disappeared, was kidnapped and being tortured for hours and didn't even care to look for him...Hence, excuse him for a second to act like a petulant child throwing tantrum, okay?

**Scott** : What???

Paying no more attention to Scott, Stiles turns around to find out Chris & Allison are looming in the farthest right of the warehouse separately from everyone. Right there and then, Stiles sees red...

When someone gets angry, there are two things that could happen. The first and the most common thing is the hot anger. The hot anger is a passionate, emotional response to a present situation and it happens at the moment resulted in some nasty reactions involved lashing out, screaming, yelling, fighting...you name it and they have it all. It flares up like a flame to burn everything & everyone around...but dies out fast. 

Another thing that could happen is the cold anger! The cold anger usually comes about when the hot anger has failed in some way. The cold anger is calculated, well-thought-out, and the angry person is in complete control of their emotions. The angry person suppresses their original ‘hot’ anger and so it goes deep into their psychological system. This kind simmers under the surface like magmas boiling under volcanos waiting for the right time to explode...and when the right time comes, it will destroy everything gets in its way! And Now...now...Stiles is having a wave of cold anger against the Argents! Normally, the cold anger is common in serial killers, mass murderers, and psychopaths. Stiles would say that he is neither of those but Stiles is the one who will make your life miserable so that you wish living in Hell is mercy when you crossed his lines! Tonight...the Argents had crossed Stiles's last line and there will be Hell to pay!

**Stiles** : Hello...Argents.

The way Stiles greeted the Argents was...wrong. It's not the way you greet the person you have known for a year and few months. It's not the way you greet someone that you consider as acquaintances or as a friend in Allison's case. There is no welcome feeling to greet someone in the way Stiles greeted. It is distant, undesirable, unemotional, and calculated...There is also a small smile on Stiles's face that doesn't reach his eyes! 

Then...they realize Stiles greeted the Argent as the way people greet their enemies while plotting their enemy's dead. 

Outside, Stiles is perfectly contented and relaxed, but inside...Every werewolf in the warehouse could smell the lucid stink of boundless hatred leaking out of Stiles's body aiming at the Argents. Not to mention the everlasting rage boiling inside him like magmas. 

Oh boy! What do they know? Rage is an understatement! Stiles is _livid_!

But being a big boy, Stiles knows this is not time to get his revenge! It is because he certainly has a very angry Kanima bouncing up and down in the Mountain Ash's barrier attempting to break free...But marks his words on this! After all of the shit is over, Stiles will find out every possible way to drag the Argents into the mud so deep that they could not crawl back while Stiles enjoys every ounce of pleasure watching them desperately saving their own asses. 

Hearing the way Stiles greeted, the Argent had to take a step back like they had been slapped by an invisible hand. Both of the Argents and the Wolves now notices something is clearly wrong with Stiles, something changed inside the boy and the Argent might aware of what it is...The person standing right in front of them now is no longer the sarcastic, lanky, clumsy boy they had already known but is someone totally different! Stiles looks like an Angel of Vengeance ready to fulfill his duties. There is something about the boy screamed dangerous making everyone in the warehouse goosebumps... 

Not even batting an eye about the Argents's reactions, Stiles askes everyone else:

**Stiles** : Is everyone okay? No one dies, right? Losing any arms? Please tell me you guys did not lose arms because let me tell you...I'm not going to help you pick it up! 

Standing up on his feet, Derek rolls his eyes so hard at Stiles's questions:

**Derek** : Stiles! No one dies and all arms are intact! 

**Stiles** : Great! That's great! Wait? Where is Peter? 

True to his words, Stiles's looking around but Peter is nowhere to be seen! 

**Stiles** : PETER! Stop lurking around and show yourself! I know you're here! 

**Peter** : I'm not lurking! I'm just enjoying myself in the dark! I will even invite you in if you asked nicely...

Stepping out of the shadow like a drama queen, with all of his glory in the V-neck henley, Peter retorts Stiles's comment while rolling his eyes. 

**Stiles** : I have no desire to know what you do in the dark, alright? So, I'm gonna pass! Anyway, back to the business! Lydia is here! What do you need her for? 

**Peter** : Well...I need her for...that! 

Peter is now pointing his finger at the Kanima making everyone's attention shifts to it. Most of them - Scott, Issac, Derek, the Argents - have no ideas on how to deal with the Kanima since apparently and very clearly, they could not defeat it. Jackson is like an invincible weapon with the only purpose of killing them all and he has almost succeeded if not because of Stiles's interference. So despite hating it, they cling to the hope that Peter or Stiles could come up with any plans to help them out of this situation...

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When Peter looks at the barrier containing Jackson inside, he is impressed! This barrier is extremely strong and absolutely perfectly made! The Kanima is a vicious creature with an enormous power that could easily tear 1 Alpha, 3 Betas, 2 Hunters limb from limb and somehow this barrier could contain the Kanima perfectly! Before Stiles arrived at the rescue, they were losing. If not because Stiles's car slammed to the Kanima, Derek had already been killed by now. Peter hates to say this but he really had considered fleeing but then brushed it off. Believe it or not! Although being killed by Derek once, Derek is still the only living family member that Peter has and Peter won't let him die if he could help it...Thankfully, it wasn't the case because as unusual as it seems, Stiles once again saves the day by capturing the Kanima and containing it inside the strongest barrier Peter had ever seen in his life!

Back to the matter at hand, Peter realizes that he has taken far too long to admire Stiles's handy work. Feeling the odd looks of others, Peter gives them no mind and only looks at Stiles while speaking:

**Peter** : It's quite a barrier, Stiles! You certainly did a great job here! Well done! 

**Stiles** : Flattery will get you nowhere, Peter! Now, if you please, tell me what do you need Lydia for?

**Peter** : Oh...I believe that flattery will get me...everywhere. But since you ask very nicely, I will tell you why...I need our lovely Lydia here to help me save our Jackson! You see...I have intel said that to save the Kanima, you need to bring out its humanity and fulfill the transformation. I'm not so sure about the "fulfill" part, but I do know that the mate-bonds could bring out the humanity of shapeshifters. Correct me if I was wrong, but Lydia is Jackson's girlfriend, right? So...How about giving it a try, Lydia!

Not so sure about everyone else but both Stiles & Lydia are totally impressed with Peter! 

To Stiles, he is impressed because Peter still could find a way to save Jackson even without the help and information provided by 1000 years old Nogitsune! Stiles properly would not know how to save Jackson if it wasn't because of Itachi. Let's be honest here! Stiles knows he's smart, but he is not a God! Without Itachi, Stiles is as hopeless as anyone else in this warehouse, and without the information provided by Itachi, Stiles would never come up with a very solid plan. 

It said a lot about Peter because, without any support, Peter still found out some valued information! However, Stiles also notices the flaws in Peter's information and Peter's plan. Maybe Itachi was right, the Kanima is quite a rare creature that only a few people had recorded of them and most of the information about them was incorrect. Stiles almost certain that Peter's plan is not going to work but there is no harm in trying right?

To Lydia, she is impressed because she couldn't help but compare Stiles's plan and Peter's plan together and notice the similarities between them. Peter had all the important information such as bringing out Jackson's humanity and fulfill the transformation, but it's not enough... Lydia didn't need to be a genius to know that Stiles's plan is more solid and more practical! But just like Stiles, there is no harm in trying! So...Lydia will give it a try! 

Looking at Peter steadily, Lydia asks:

**Lydia** : Alright! What am I gonna do?

**Peter** : Well...Technically, a mate could anchor a feral werewolf by talking and scenting. Obviously, there will be no scenting for Jackson right now! Unless you want to be shredded to pieces than...be my guest! 

Seeing the unimpressed looks on everyone's face and some furious growling from the wolves, Peter rolls his eyes while speaks again:

**Peter** : You guys are no fun!!! Fine! What I mean is Lydia could try to talk to Jackson, calling his name, telling him stories valued to him, reminding him of the good memories, or maybe showing him something that matters to him...Anyway! You know what I meant. So...just give it a try! 

Nodding her head slightly, Lydia takes a deep breath and then takes a step closer to Jackson. For the first time of the night, Lydia finally has a good look at her ex-boyfriend! Just like in the Bestiary, Jackson looks nothing like a human! He is 100% a humanoid lizard creature with dark green scales covered all of his body and his...tail! Yeah! Jackson has a fucking tail! 

Seeing Jackson's hissing and bouncing ferociously against the Moutain Ash's barrier, Lydia realizes that she doesn't scare of him. She knows she should be but she didn't...Maybe it was because Jackson is now hissing and bouncing like a petulant child throwing tantrum at everyone and everything while hopelessly being captured in the cage. Or maybe it was because Lydia knew they - Stiles & Lydia - had a very solid plan to save Jackson in case Peter's plan didn't work...Maybe because of all of them...Lydia honest doesn't know but she doesn't care! 

Wasting no more time, Lydia begins to call Jackson's name and tell him about all the memories they ever had. She tells Jackson about how they met, about their first holding each other hands, their first date, their first kiss, and their first fight...She tells him about all of their childhood memories, tells him how he was a cute little brat trailing after her since they were just kids. Lydia then tells him that his parents miss him a lot, tells him how they devastated after being informed about his death. She tells him that despite the brink between Jackson & his parents, Mr & Mrs.Whittemore still loves him so much... 

Afterward, Lydia tells Jackson that his best friend - Danny - is crying his heart out because of the loss of his best friend while also reminds Jackson how awesome they were in school as the Golden Trio...Finally, Lydia even shows Jackson the key to her grandmother's lake house which now belongs to Lydia after her grandmother passed away to show Jackson that they could have a place of their own and could move in together after graduation if they want to...

But despite all of Lydia's effort, there is still no sight of Jackson's humanity...

Knowing it is a waste of time and a lost cause, Lydia gives up! Takes a deep breath and gathers himself for a second, she turns back to look at Peter & Stiles while ignoring the heart-wrenching feeling inside her:

**Lydia** : It didn't work...I told him everything but it didn't help. He did have some reactions when heard his name or when heard about Danny & his parents, and also reacted at some stories but...that's it! Nothing at all...I can't bring out his consciousness or humanity! I'm really but...we have to try your plan, Stiles... 

**Stiles** : Okay...Okay! My plan it is! 

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	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Long time no see! 
> 
> The pandemic is now going crazy around the world and please! Please wear masks whenever you go out! Be safe everyone!
> 
> I also would like to point out that I might have been inspired by the look of Maleficent portrayed by Angelina Jolie to create the new feature of Lydia! ^^

Despite being the one who came up with the plan in the first place, Stiles did hope that he didn't need to use his plan to save Jackson. Because as mentioned earlier, his plan might be involved murdering someone and...there is nothing easy about taking a life even though they're a monster. When you take someone's life, you don't just take them off the living realm and send them to the afterlife but also killing a piece of your soul in the process. No matter the killing in self-defense or killing by purpose...It is a murder nevertheless. Afterward, there will be no turning back... 

Tonight, Stiles had already killed two Gerard's goons in self-defense and if he set his plan in motion, he might need to kill another one whose same age as him... And...He does not know how to feel about that. Nah! He just fools himself! He does know how to feel about it! It feels horrible and terrible and dreadful...But what can he say? It's something that has to be done to save his friends! So Stiles will be a big man here and brave his soul to ready on the road to Hell...

Swallowing hard, Stiles turns back to notice the confusing looks on everyone in the warehouse except for Lydia and...surprisingly or unsurprisingly...Peter! Paying them no attention, Stiles asks:

**Stiles** : Can anyone tell me where is Matt Daehler?

**Isaac** : Why do you ask about him? 

**Stiles** : Oh! I don't know! Maybe to invite him to my sleepover and chat about girls? NO! Dumb ass! Just tell me where he is? 

**Peter** : He is already dead! 

Glancing at Peter, Stiles asks in surprise:

**Stiles** : WHAT? How? When? 

**Peter** : I amazed by your choice of words but next time...Be more specific! 

**Stiles** : Oh for God's sake! Just tell me when and how did he die?

**Peter** : Fine! He just killed by Gerard Argent! 

**Stiles** : WHAT!!! 

Stiles said in surprise along with everyone else. 

**Scott** : How did you know about it?

**Peter** : Well...It was because I saw Gerard drown Matt Daehler under the river by the bridge. 

**Derek** : So that's why Gerard became the new Master! 

Stiles can see now that no one knew anything about Gerard murdering Matt Daehler. A tiny part of Stiles feels pleasure to see the blood run out of Chris & Allison's faces when they realized their father, their grandfather had killed a teenager in cold blood just for power! Another tiny part of him feels sorry for them for having psychopaths such as Kate & Gerard as the immediate family members. But Stiles realizes that this is none of his business. So, instead of saying meaningless things, Stiles decides to drop the subject of Gerard's crimes to come back to the matter at hand which was his plan! Also, there is a huge part of Stiles feels relief because if he had to choose one person to kill between Gerard & Matt, he absolutely chose Gerard Argent! Matt Daehler was a psychopath but Gerard Argent was genocider! Stiles definitely will take every ounce of pleasure killing Gerard while getting his revenge along the way! 

**Stiles** : Alright! So Gerard is the new Master! Good for him!...Where is he? 

Ignoring the odds look on Peter's face, Stiles looks at everyone else and wait for the answer. 

It is Scott answering to Stiles's question:

**Scott** : He is right...Where is he? He was just lying right there! 

True to Scott's words, Gerard Argent is nowhere to be seen! The place where Gerard was lying not so long ago is covered in black blood...Actually, there is blood everyone! Like...a lot of them! Stiles has no ideas on what happened to Gerard so that he lost this much blood but with the amount of blood on the floor, Gerard should have been dead by now! But instead of being dead, Gerard somehow is alive and apparently has enough strength to drag himself out of the warehouse without no one notices! 

Gerard's disappearance has startled everyone in the warehouse included the Argents causing all of them into the panic mode! Wasting no time, Stiles follows the blood trait leaving behind by Gerard dragging himself out of the warehouse to the main door only to find out the very motionless corpse of no one but Gerard Argents! 

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Having conflicted emotions, Stiles honestly does not know should he feels relief for finding Gerard's corpse, or should he feels happy because he doesn't need to murder Gerard to break the Master's bond anymore? Or should he feel angry about not getting his revenge? Honestly, Stiles doesn't know! 

Stepping closer to examine Gerard's corpse. Stiles finds it odds! Something is not right!

Stiles might not a forensic but he had read enough autopsy reports and had seen enough autopsy photos in his dad case files to notice that Gerard was not killed by bleeding out but by a broken neck! Now that is weird! A broken neck? How could that even happen? Slipping? Nope! That is impossible! Gerard is old but he is not that old! Gerard is damn strong for his age! Stiles has proved for that! He has proved all of his body for God's sake! Also, If Gerard had enough strength to drag himself out of the warehouse right under 4 werewolves... _Oh_...Widening his eyes while the realization washes over his feature, Stiles thinks back everything that happened since he & Lydia arrived and then Stile...found it! God! How could he miss it? There were only 3 werewolves in the warehouse while he ran through his car the wall! Peter wasn't there! 

Startling everyone by abruptly standing up, Stiles ignores the confusing look on everyone's faces included Lydia only to steps forwards Peter. Setting a steady and intense gaze on him, Stiles asks with an unimpressed and unapproved tone:

**Stiles** : Peter! Really? A broken neck? How dumb you think I am? Also, I thought you were an expert in the spoliation of evidence? Obviously, I was wrong. 

Unaffected by Stiles's questions and unflinching by everyone's intense looks and completely ignoring the growling of the Werewolves, Peter sets his eyes on Stiles and says:

**Peter** : Well...Excuse me for not having enough time to catch Gerard at the main door and then snapped his neck and _then_ destroy the evidence while you drove through the wall? I'm kinda busy, you know? Also, seriously, there were 3 werewolves & 2 Hunters inside the warehouse and no one noticed Gerard was alive and about got out? I honestly don't how you guys could survive this long! 

**Derek** : Just shut up! 

Earned a few glares from the Argents and angry growling from Issac & Scott, Peter ignores them all by rolling his eyes so hard! Seriously, someone should give him a medal for putting up with these people! God! All of them...well...maybe except for Stiles...but the rest of them are acting like a bitch! He just saved them from a lot of hard work in the future by killing Gerard and no thank you? No "I appreciate your help"? That was rude! Peter doesn't even know why he's putting up with these people in the first place! Was it because Derek hanging out with the teenagers? Or was it because something is wrong with him? Should he make an appointment with his doctor to do the checkup? Maybe he should? Who knows?...

Peter's thought was interrupted by Stiles when he begins to speak again:

**Stiles** : Peter...You are the new Master, aren't you?

It came out more like a statement than a question and it only takes a second to everyone reacts! 

Everyone now sets their absolute attention on Peter! The Werewolves Trio - Derek & Scott & Isaac - is now growling threatening at Peter, Chris Argent is having both of his guns pointed at Peter while Allison quickly draws an arrow, sets it on the bow, pulls the string and aims at Peter's head. Lydia is now having an icy cold look on her face while setting her deadly gaze on Peter to tell him that if he made one wrong step, she will end him! And Stiles...Stiles is looking at Peter intensely while reading Peter's aura. 

Peter's aura is...unsettling! There is a giant translucent wolf with dark brown fur and glowing blue eyes looming all over his body. This has to be Peter's Wolf, isn't it? - Stiles thought. He senses a feeling that the wolf is in its prime of age but the wolf doesn't look like it at all. There are so many things wrong with Peter's Wolf that Stiles doesn't even know where to begins to describe with. 

The first thing Stiles saw is the burn wounds all over the wolf's body and it has to be the wounds caused by Kate Argent since the Hale Fire. The fire had wounded Peter so badly that it imprinted on his aura making the wolf covered by the burn wounds. And despite being back from the dead, the burn wounds still stayed in Peter's aura and causing him pain...

The second thing Stiles saw in Peter's aura is the rotten flesh...Stiles has a feeling that it had to be caused by being dead for a few months. Outside, Peter appears with all of his glory in the V-neck henley. All of his scarred burns are gone and Stiles thinks Peter is...saner? Or relative sane? Peter just looked so much better. But inside, Peter is rotten... Ever since Stiles found out that Peter had come back from the dead, Stiles was wondering how Peter could make it happen? As Lydia said earlier, Peter must use Lydia as a Banshee to anchor his soul to the living realm after he bit her and then manipulated her into performing a ritual to bring his soul back to his body. But it couldn't be that easy, isn't it? Now...now Stiles knows how hard it could be to achieve such an impossible thing. Coming back from the dead is not a simple act. There are always prices to pay and Peter is paying his prices to Death right now...

Another thing that presents in Peter's aura is the touch of Death...No one could escape Death! When the times comes and Death knocks on your door, you could not do anything but politely invite Death in so that Death could collect his treasures... Death will come to every living thing included those that seem to be immortal, eventually. They might live a very long life but their time will end at some point. Maybe due to being killed by another thing or maybe they don't have enough power to maintain their life force anymore...And when the time comes, Death will be there to greet them on the road to the afterlife...

Back to the matter at hand, Peter somehow had found the way to trick Death and managed to bring his soul back to the living realm! But Death is not a fool, Death could be tricked one but he wouldn't be tricked forever and he is nothing but a patient collector. Therefore, he leaves the mark to those who had successfully tricked him as a gift and also a reminder that someday...They will meet again...And right now, the mark of Death is visible on Peter's aura! 

All of these things made Stiles unsettled...Part of him feels sorry for Peter for suffering such the pain, but part of him knows that Peter wouldn't appreciate his pity. So Stiles decides to keep his mouth shut and continues to read Peter's aura...And he found it! 

There are a bunch of broken pack bonds tangling around Peter's aura... Stile doesn't count how many but there are a lot of them and Stiles had thought that the broken pack bonds will disappear after all these years but how wrong he was... Besides the only pack bond is still intact in Peter's aura which is the very faint golden threat linked Peter & Derek together, Stiles finally finds another bond linked Peter to Jackson! This bond is different from the others, while the pack bonds are simmering like golden threats, the Master's bond is simmering with crimson red so dark that it's almost black! 

**Peter** : Oh...Stiles...As astute as ever! I know I like you for reasons!

Seeing the maniac glints, the calculated, and the cautions look in Peter's eyes, Stiles knows he must do something soon or it will all go to Hell...

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Stiles would not say that he understands Peter but Stiles knows that Peter wants power! If Peter was frightening when he was insane, then Peter is horrendous when he is sane! Or might Stiles says...relatively sane! Having no idea whether it was Peter's plan all along or it was a coincidence, Stiles suddenly realizes that if it wasn't because of his barrier, being the new Master of the Kanima, Peter would be the only winner by now! After killing Gerard and gaining control of the Kanima, Peter could have had the invincible weapon that he had always wanted. The weapon that will follow all of his orders without a single complaint! The thoughts of what Peter could and would do if Stiles didn't interfere making him shudders in fears...Thankfully, none of that will happen this time! 

It would make Stiles's plan much more simple if Gerard was still the Master. Stiles honestly wouldn't give a fuck when he puts a bullet inside Gerard's head, but Stiles finds it difficult to kill Peter while knowing how much pain Peter had been suffering...Don't get him wrong! Stiles knows very well that Peter is not a good person! God! He still has vivid memories of Peter's killing spree. But Stiles could also understand the reasons why Peter went berserk after his pack was murdered in cold blood... If Stiles were in Peter's position, Stiles would do the same! After experienced the dead so close, Stiles feels uncomfortable thinking of taking Peter down in order to achieve his plan...

There are 2 ways to break the bonds: forcefully break it by an outside source or breaking it by the compromise of 2 companions linked by the bonds. And to all Stiles knows about Peter, there is no way in Hell Peter will willingly break a bond with the Kanima since Peter now has an invincible weapon he always wants. Unless...There is something much more appealing... And lucky for Stiles, he has something Peter would die to have...

Looking straight at Peter's eyes and forcing all of his confidences in his look, Stiles offers Peter the deal that Stiles knows Peter couldn't reject:

**Stiles** : Peter...Break the bond and I will heal you! 

Narrows his eyes, Peter looks at Stiles with the intensely meaning look while thinking...

Honestly...Peter feels dumb as he feels surprised that Stiles is the one who finds out what wrong with him! Really! Peter should have known better! Peter already knew that the boy is too smart and resourceful despite his age, but something in the way Stiles speaks told him otherwise. Anyway, Peter knows that it's only a matter of time until Stiles figures out his problems. No secrets could be hidden forever, sooner or later, someone will find out. Peter just didn't expect that his problems were figured out this soon... 

Before the Fire, Peter himself was the Left Hand of the Hale Pack. Peter is the one who did all the dirty works whenever Talia asked him to. To be the Left Hand, you will need to have a lot of characteristics! You need to be cunning, be manipulative, be resourceful, and be levelheaded at the same time to get the jobs done. You need to be able to identify the threats and eliminates them before they could do something harmful to your pack. Being the Left Hand is a horrible job but it suited Peter well... 

Being the Left Hand had taught Peter one thing that is he needs to know about...everything! When Peter heard about Lorraine Martin and her experiment, being obsessed with collecting information, Peter did his researches and found out Martin's heritage. That's why Peter had known about Lyda's heritage and what she could do. That night...In all of his insanity, Peter had a hunch that he might not able to survive after getting his revenge. Therefore, he bit Lydia without asking her permission despite being raised to consider the Bite was the gift. Oh! He knows he is a horrible person, okay? No need to remind him of that! But even the worst person still wants to live right? So when Peter sees an opportunity, of course, he's gonna take it! Peter did not feel good when he bit Lydia but when Derek ripped his throat out, Peter was glad that he did it! Because, after all, it gave him a second chance...

People always said that there is nothing free in life and it is true! Coming back from the dead is not an easy act and of course, there are prices to pay. Since Peter came back, his healing isn't working properly, his senses are not as good as it used to be, he is constantly in pain and the worst thing is he could feel the presence of Death surrounds him ever since...To be honest and Peter hates saying this, but he has no idea how to fix his problem! So...If Stiles knew some ways or something to fix his problems, then Peter will take it! But before that, Peter needs to be sure...

**Peter** : Are you sure you can heal me, Stiles?

Right there and then, Stiles knows his offering was being taken! Feeling much more confident now, Stiles says with a grin:

**Stiles** : Peter...Listen to my heart! I _can_ heal you! So...Break the bond and I will do it! 

Stiles's heart stays absolutely steady while he speaks. Because true to his words, Stiles does know how to fix Peter's problems! Seeing...Hearing the confidence and affirmation in Stiles's heartbeat. Peter finally accepts the ofference:

**Peter** : Well...You never cease to amazed me, Stiles! Seems like we have a deal... 

**Stiles** : YES! I mean...That's great! 

Raising a single eyebrow, Peter chuckles in amusement:

**Peter** : Don't make me regret it, Stiles! So...How are we gonna do it?

**Stiles** : About that...Uhm...It's kinda complicated! It'll a long process and right now we have more urgent issues named Jackson! So...How about we discuss it later? I promised!

Trues to his words, the process to heal Peter is complicated and takes quite a long process to do it properly! You might wonder...How could Stiles know how to heal Peter? Well...Very glad that you asked! The fact is...Stiles didn't know how to heal Peter at first! But lucky for Stiles! Stiles knows someone knows how to do it! And that someone named "Itachi"! _Oh yeah_! Don't you forget about Itachi? A 1000 years old Nogitsune, remember? Rings any bells? Yeah! That's the one! 

Before Stiles drove his car through the wall, Itachi dispersed himself into black smoke and soaked into Stiles's skin leaving the only goodbye saying that he _hated_ Werewolves! When Stiles & Lydia entered the warehouse, Itachi has felt delighted with the conflicted emotions and chaos and violence in the warehouse and wasting no time to feed on it. When Stiles saw the Argents, Itachi was over the moon with Stiles's rage. When Stiles read Peter's aura, Itachi has let out a squeak of pleasure for witnessing such a horrendous aura and immediately fed on Peter's darkness and pains...And maybe because of that, Itachi has nicely provided Stiles a solution since Stiles struggled to find a way to persuade Peter to break the bond...

**Itachi** : Oh...I take my words back. I like your wolves, Stiles! Especially this one! Peter, right? He is delicious! God...It's been too long since I had been fed on such pains as this! The pains, the darkness inside him is captivating! Can we keep him? We should keep him! He could just stand right there being pretty while I have my appetizing...

**Stiles** : NO! Of course not! We're not keeping anyone. Especially Peter of all people! Also, you do know that Peter is dying right? How could you keep him if he was dying? Unless...You know how to heal him, do you?

**Itachi** : Well...I can tell you how to heal him but...I want something in return. 

**Stiles** : Fine...Tell me! But I will reject it if you ask for something too exaggerated!

Making a deal with a devil spirit is always a bad thing...But Stiles couldn't help it! Everything is just a mess right now and Stiles has no idea how to fix all of that! So if Itachi could fix one of his problems then sure as hell Stiles's gonna take it! 

**Itachi** : Don't worry, Stiles! I won't ask for something too complicated! All you need to do is staying close to Peter from now on and I will tell you how to heal him. 

**Stiles** : You need me to stay close to Peter so that you could feed on his pains and his darkness...Am I correct?

**Itachi** : That's correct! So...Do we have a deal?

**Stiles** : Okay! Deal! So..Tell me!

Considering that Itachi could feed on Peter's darkness & pains without Peter aware of it. So...All Stiles needs to do is finding excuses to stay close to Peter! And it won't be so hard to do it right? Right! Stiles hopes so...

Stiles's thoughts were cut off by a bunch of information sending through the bonds. All of them are about how to heal something or someone by using potions, rituals, and even magic circles. Most of it involved Asia's magic & Asia's magical ingredients & spells written in Ancient Mandarin & Ancient Japanese and somehow...Stiles understands them! WTF??? Stiles has never learned Mandarin or Japanese in his life not to mention the Ancient ones. He could speak Polish fluently because of his mom and he speaks French because he has to learn them in school. So...he's confused! 

**Itachi** : The pact, Stiles! You & I...We share anything and everything, remember? Right now, you're unconsciously and inadvertently blocking all of your memories from me. Maybe you don't realize it but in the subconscious of your mind, you don't want me to know about your memories and the pact knows that! To be honest, I did the same thing! No one likes their memories being invaded... And the pact recognized both of our intentions and acted on it by blocking all of our memories from each other. However...When I sent information through our bonds, not only I send my memories and knowledge but I also send my experiences and skills. And the ability of fluently speaking Ancient Mandarin & Japanese is one of them. 

**Stiles** : Oh...Thank you...I guess?

**Itachi** : You're welcome! 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to matters at hand, Stiles realizes that Peter has agreed with his plan:

**Peter** : Fine...We deal with Jackson first and then we complete our deal! Don't make me wait too long, Stiles...

_Or you won't like it when I'm impatient_ \- The warning doesn't go unnoticed by Stiles and everyone else who is bewildered by Stiles & Peter's conversation. To be honest, excepts for Stiles & Peter and maybe Lydia, all the wolves and the Argents have no fucking clues about what is going on anymore! 

Tonight is just a mess! It is a rollercoaster of emotions and situations making all of them frustrated to no ends. Tonight will be the night that all of them will remember for the rest of their lives. Not only they have to fight for their lives against an enemy they could not win, but also they had to face the constantly changing situation. God saves their souls...They would die to have a break for a few seconds! But as Stiles said, they have a very urgent problem named Jackson! 

Hence, they follow Stiles and Peter back inside the warehouse where the Kanima was captured. Takes a little step closer to the barrier, they separate and surround along the Mountain Ash's line. For the record, they have no idea what to do about Jackson, obviously, they could not let him free... It's no doubt that Jackson will tear them apart the moment they break the barrier seeing how Jackson is now bouncing furiously against the barrier trying to break free. They also could not just leave them here! This warehouse was abandoned - yes! But there will always some chances that someone such as teenagers or some homeless breaks in and God knows what would happen when they see Jackson! There is also an idea of killing Jackson but no one seems to want to voice it out or act on it. Excepts for...Chris Argent! 

Lydia sees it first! She sees the way something breaks inside Chris, sees the way a hard decision was made because it is something that has to be done, sees the way Chris steels himself, and his face turns blank! Knowing what is suppose to happen, Lydia steps right in front of Chris Argent when he raises his guns and ready to fire at the very next second! Standing face to face with Chris while shielding Jackson out of the shooting lines and not even bats an eye to the guns before her, Lydia looks at Chris Argent with the icy deadly look:

**Lydia** : Don't! Even think about it! 

Startled by the scene in front of them, no one dares to move or says or do anything! Deadly silence fills the warehouse and Stiles swears he could hear the pint drop if there was one...And then it was broken by no one but Allison:

**Allison** : Dad! What are you doing! 

Feeling the icy cold look of Lydia sets on him, Chris didn't dare to turn his gaze away. So... Instead, he steels himself and holds the guns steady.

In the Argents, the male will be taught to become soldiers while the female will be taught to be leaders. At a young age, Chris had to endure the worst pain and had passed the hardest training to become the best soldier of the Argents Family, to become one of the best fighters on the West Coast. He had hunted monsters and face a lot of things that humans could not even imagine...And not once in his life feels threatened like right now! 

There is something in Lydia's presence making Chris feel terrified! Something is definitely not human! 

**Chris** : Lydia...I know you don't understand it but I just do what has to be done! You tried to save Jackson and failed! We can not let him out or he will kill more people! Let me put an end on this...

That's earned a bunch of angry growling from the Wolves and making the blood run out of Allison's face when she realizes what her father wants to do. Part of her knows that her father is doing what he had been taught to do which is also partly right. They couldn't let Jackson out or he will kill them all and then kills more people... And they could not let it happen!

But another part of Allison knows that Jackson doesn't deserve it! Even in human laws, you don't blame the weapon for killing people. You blame the one who wields it! Jackson is just a tool. He can't control himself! But Allison honestly doesn't know what to do or what to believe anymore, tonight is just too much! She just wants it to stop...

**Lydia** : Put your guns down or I will make you! Trust me...You won't like it!

Right there and then, everyone in the warehouse feels something shifts... 

It likes something in the air has changed drastically! Everyone could feel something deep inside their bones that could only be called as...fears! The fears of something that have passed from generations after generations. The fears of something that have marked their souls since the day they were born. The fears of something that have imprinted on their genes since they took the first breath of air to live...The fears of Death! 

Looking back at Lydia now, they all startled by the change of her feature!

Standing fiercely face to face against Chris, they all begin to see Lydia's face morphe to a different feature. Her cheeks are now so much sharper, her skin becomes so pale like silky white, and her eyes are now glowing with the mixed color of silver and mercury. There is a beauty in Lydia's feature in an inhuman way that could take any man's breath away when they look at her.

But the thing that has changed the most is Lydia's aura! The Wolves & The Argents might not able to see it but they could feel it... There is so much darkness, and sorrows, and decays in it! One moment, Lydia is just a hot dumb teenage girl in a little town, next moment, she is the Queen demanding the attention! Everyone in the warehouse could feel Lydia's aura sets on their skins, it feels like the deadly coldness of the endless winter. Their skins crawl and their bones shudder and the Wolves couldn't hold back their growling and glowing's eyes! Even Peter who had already known what Lydia is has problems keeping himself from growling as well. He knows she is powerful but Lydia's display of power is definitely something else! 

Stepping closer to Lydia, Stiles is the only one who has no reactions to Lydia's display of power, puts a hand on her shoulder, squeaks it gently to help her ground and then he speaks to Chris with the most polite tones:

**Stiles** : Chris Argent...I suggest you lower your guns. Before we make you! We have a plan to save Jackson so...back off! 

Right after Stiles finishes, Peter immediately lets out a growl in warning while his eyes glow dangerously making Allison snaps out of her trance caused by her father's action combined with Lydia's display of power! Looks at her dad, she urges him:

**Allison** : Dad...Listen to them...Please...

Looking at the scenes before his eyes while listening to his daughter, Chris realizes that there is no way in Hell that he could pull the triggers now. Chris knows for sure that if he pulled the triggers now, Lydia for whatever the hell she is and Peter will definitely put an end on him. He is not a coward but he also not blind to not see the danger he has put himself in. Chris might not feel convinced that Stiles has a plan to save Jackson but he listens to his daughter and lowers his guns. 

**Stiles** : Thank you for your cooperation. Now! If you don't mind, I would like to go back to my plan! 

Paying Chris no more attention, Stiles turns back to smile at Lydia, looks at her glowing eyes and tells her:

**Stiles** : See! I told you so! It's your instinct! You could do it, Lydia! 

Smiling back at Stiles's comment, Lydia just exhales a long breath and says:

**Lydia** : Don't be arrogant, Stiles! It doesn't look good on you! 

**Stiles** : Hey! I'm telling you that I look good in everything! Okay...You're ready?

**Lydia** : Give me a minute...then I will ready! 

**Stiles** : Okay! Just...takes all the time you want, okay? Tell me when you are! 

Receives a nod from Lydia as a confirmation, Stiles leaves Lydia to ready herself to turn and look at everyone else. He talks to them:

**Stiles** : Alright! I know that you guys are confused about what the fuck is going on right now! So...Long version short: I have a plan! To save Jackson, of course! But I need your help to make it happen...Derek! 

That earned Stiles a single raised eyebrows from Derek urging him to go on. God! What is it about the Hale's eyebrows? It likes they have their language and the worst thing is Stiles could read them! 

**Stiles** : Derek...I know it's inappropriate asking you something like this...But I need you to bite Jackson...again. 

**Derek** : Are you out of your mind? I bit him once! And look at what happened! 

**Stiles** : I know! I know! It messed up! But Derek...This is not your fault! It's so much more complicated and I promise that I will explain everything later. Just...Trust me on this, okay? I won't ask if it's not necessary! 

Maybe it was because of the earnest and seriousness in Stiles's voice or maybe it was because Derek has no idea how to help Jackson, or maybe it was because Stiles had proved himself trustworthy by holding him for hours in the pool, Derek - against his better judgment - agrees with Stiles's idea of biting Jackson...again!

**Derek** : Okay...I do it! 

**Stiles** : Really? That's just it? I thought I have to give you a full speech or something! But...Anyway...That's great! Thank you! I will tell you when to bite him and then you do it, okay?

Then he was cut off by Lydia saying:

**Lydia** : Stiles...I'm ready! 

**Stiles** : Great! Everyone...covers your ears! 

Bewildered by everything is going on, everyone still chooses to follow Stiles's order and cover their ears. Everyone...excepts for:

**Scott** : Stiles! What's going on? And why do we have to cover our ears? 

**Stiles** : Scott! For God's sake! Just cover your fucking ears! 

Scott, of course, wants to say something back but then be stopped by no one else but Isaac. With the way Isaac puts a hand on Scott's shoulder to hold Scott back from speaking, Stiles could clearly see something is going on between two of them. They're acting like a pack of two with Scott being an Alpha even though he is not! Great! Now they have a crisis between packs & pack's members adding on the madness of the Kanima & Gerard Argent! Stiles doesn't even know that he should feel fortunate or cursed due to that facts! 

Gives Isaac & Scott no minds, Stiles turns his gaze back to Lydia to talks to her: 

**Stiles** : Lydia...I will count backward from 3 and then you scream, okay?

**Lydia** : Okay...

**Stiles** : 3 - 2 - 1 - GO! 

And scream she is...

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote this chapter, I had several ideas about what could happen to Stiles & everyone in the warehouse. But in the end, I chose this outcome because...well...I love Dragons! Who doesn't? They're awesome! 
> 
> So...Enjoy this chapter! And Please...Leave your comments below and kudos! Love u!
> 
> Stay safe everyone!
> 
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------

And then she screams...

There's nothing human about the scream. It's kind of scream that no one ever heard of. It's not the scream you hear in those horror movies when the main actress screams from the top of her lungs because of some evil's forces hunt her to death. No! This scream...is infused with power! It's so powerful that it shatters all the windows to million pieces. It's loud and clear that Stiles swears every supernatural creature in Beacon Hills could hear it. It brings all of them on their knees and makes the Wolves cover their ears in pain while blood's rolling out of it. 

Still, there is something more in the scream...

They could feel it...Besides the force, something in Lydia's scream making them shudder in their bones. Something that makes them have a few visions of the moment of their last breath, makes them have a little taste of hopelessness when their souls leave their body to the afterlife, makes them have a little experience of the last day they walk the Earth. Something that could only be called the power beyond the human realm. Something that could be only be defined as the power of... DEATH! 

The scream is long and powerful, but it soon dies out...

Immediately on his feet, rushes towards the barrier, inside the barrier, Stiles sees no one but a very human Jackson! Yeah! A very human one! With no scale, no reptile yellow eyes, no claws & fangs, and definitely no tail! Thank God for that! 

Before his eyes, Stiles could see Jackson's shaking slightly while having the bewilderment in his eyes. Knowing that Jackson will more likely not remember anything he did, but with the way Jackson confuses about his surrounding, Stiles decides not to test it! No good will come if Jackson realized what he did and then dwelled himself in horror...Nope! Stiles needs Jackson to have a stable mind to ready for what will happen next!

Therefore, against his better judgment, Stiles breaks the barrier and then rushes towards Jackson! Kneels before him, grabs his shoulder with a small force, looks Jackson in the eyes, Stiles says:

** Stiles ** : Jackson! I know you're confused right now, but I need you to listen to me! After being bit by Derek, you had turned! Not into a werewolf, but something else! Something that was controlled by some psychopaths and then forced you to do something against your wills. I know you & I - we are not friends! But right now! I'm your only chance to get your freedom back! So...I need you to follow what I tell you to do next, okay? 

Stilinski is right! Jackson is...horrified! He neither remembers everything that happened to him nor he remembers what he did...But he has a few visions or might he say...memories of what happened! Memories of claws, of fangs, of scales all over his body, of blood and corpses...and oh, God! Did he kill someone? He does not remember everything, but he remembers enough to know that he did terrible things! Jackson won't say that he is the best figure of a decency human being...well...He is a brat! He knows it! But no way in Hell he could do terrible things like...that! 

Thankfully, Stiles's voice cuts Jackson off the realization and having a panic attack at the very next moment...

Jackson's brain is now slow on everything! He needs a minute in order to let what Stillinski said sinks in. Stiles is right! He & Stillinski are not friends! They could not even talk to each other without getting in each other's throat! He is also skeptical about Stillinski being his only chance to be free! But what can he say? He is hopeless and he will take whatever offered for him to get his freedom back! Furthermore, Lydia - his ex-girlfriend - God! Breaking up with her is one of the worst decisions he ever made - is kneeling next to him, lending him a shoulder to lean on and Jackson could see the affirmation in her eyes to tell him that he could trust Stiles on whatever Stiles tells him to do next! 

** Jackson ** : Okay...

** Stiles ** : Awesome! First thing first...Peter...please breaks the bond. 

Stiles is...terrify! To be more specific...He is having a mixed feeling of terrifying and nervousness! Why? Because Peter is unpredictable! Stiles knows that they had a deal, but it's just an oral agreement with nothing to secure the deal but his faith in that his proposal is so much more valuable.

Setting his eyes on Peter and waiting for him patiently, Stiles doesn't rush. He is smarter than doing something like this! It would do no one any good in doing so. Hence, Stiles is patiently waiting for Peter to fulfill the deal while hoping for the best! Everyone could feel the tension between them, but no one dares to say anything! 

And perhaps...The Fortune Goddesses are now on his side! Given the fact that Peter is now stepping closer to Stiles & Jackson & Lydia. Standing before them, narrowing his eyes, Peter asks:

** Peter ** : You're certainly having a lot of faith in me to fulfill our deal, Stiles...

** Stiles ** : I would not say that I put a lot of faith in you, Peter...What nonsense is that? I just believe that you're bright enough to know that our deal is so much more valuable to you in the long run than to have a Kanima on your side. So...What do you say?

** Peter ** : Well...Fair enough! Let do it, shall we? 

Just like that! Peter breaks the Master's bond...

The moment the bond breaks, Stiles instantly wields his magic to create the barrier with the intent to prevent Jackson from linking himself to another Master! The result is...mesmerized! 

With Mountain Ash as the base and then be filled with Stiles's magic combined with the intent to prevent Jackson from creating another Master's bond, a translucent glowing barrier forms itself into existence as a dome before their eyes! After finishing forming itself, the dome is now radiating with power and could cover at least 4 meters radius covering Peter & Lydia & Jackson & Stiles inside! And if the glowing dome did not catch everyone by surprise, then the way Stiles's eyes are shining fluorescently with the color of electric blue was definitely did! 

Feeling his eyes is shining with power while knowing that he is now having all the attention of everyone in the warehouse due to his recent change of feature, Stiles decides to pay them no minds! Right before Stiles could say anything, Peter speaks with the awe in his voice:

** Peter ** : Well...Well...You never cease to amaze me, Stiles! I knew you have the potential to become something great, but I did not expect you to be something like this!! I wonder when "this" happens? 

Recognizes the signs of fishing information out of him from Peter, Stiles gives nothing away but a grin and says:

** Stiles ** : I told you I could heal you, didn't I? Now...We have things to do! 

Turns around to look at Jackson, Stiles asks:

** Stiles ** : Remember what I said about you being controlled? Well...It was because you had bound yourself to someone else by creating the Master's bond... 

** Jackson ** : So...He is my Master, right?

** Stiles ** : Oh...About that...Yes! Peter was your latest Master. But, you also had 2 Masters before him! Besides, Peter didn't any chance to do anything to control you! And since he has already broken the bond, you don't have to worry about that anymore! I'm also blocking you from bidding yourself to another Master right now, but it won't be enough! We need something more permanent to keep your humanity intact! 

** Jackson ** : Okay...So what do we do now?

** Stiles ** : Well...

** Lydia ** : Let me talk to him, Stiles... 

** Stiles ** : Yeah...That's...actually an excellent idea! I will give you guys some privacy, okay?

Leaving Lydia for explaining the pact that will bind them for the rest of their lives to Jackson, Stiles drags Peter to the farthest corner of the barrier. If Peter has any complaints, he said nothing! He just let Stiles grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the lovebirds. Standing in the barrier's corner side by side with Peter, Stiles could see the confused look from Isaac, the disbelieving look from Scott, and especially...the unreadable looks from Derek & the Argents through his shining eyes. Under other circumstances, Stiles might feel disconcerting about the attention setting on him like this, but since he has things to do named maintaining the barrier with all of his wills and magic...Stiles simply turns the blindside on all of them!

** Peter ** : You know that they will have questions about your recently gained ability, right?

** Stiles ** : I know! But it's up to me to answer those questions...So, I'm not really worried about it! 

** Peter ** : If you say so...But, Stiles! Did I tell you that your eyes are marvelous? 

What Peter said has caught Stiles by surprise! 

Honestly, Stiles feels glad hearing Peter said something like this to him! Stiles is never the one doing good with compliments. He knows he is awesome! But he also knows that most people did not appreciate his awesomeness. Most of the time, people see him as an annoying little brat with no filter from brain to mouth. Some people notice his awesomeness such as his dad, Melissa, and even Scott before he was bitten...But that's it! No one else! Therefore, the concept of receiving compliments is vaguely uncommon for him to process. 

Hearing Peter said that he has the potential to become something great and then complimented his eyes making Stiles feel much more confident about himself. Despite doing so well dealing with all the madness that happened since Scott was bitten, and especially tonight, Stiles still feels uncertain...He is uncertain about how his dad will react when he finds out about everything. He was uncertain about everyone's reactions when they find out that Stiles is now having magic. He is uncertain about himself as well! He honestly does not understand what he will do if his friends don't accept his newly gained magic or worse...using him! Stiles is uncertain about a lot of things...And what Peter said somehow ease him a little! 

Yet being a little brat as he is, Stiles won't give Peter the satisfaction of making Stiles appreciated his compliment:

** Stiles ** : It sounds creepy when you say so! 

** Peter ** : Ouch...You wound me, Stiles! I'm just telling you the truth! Plus...Your heart said otherwise! 

** Stiles ** : Stop listening to my heart, Zombiewolf! 

** Peter ** : Oh...Pet names? I like it! 

They go silent after that...But their silence soon to be interrupted by Lydia calling for their attention. Turning back to look at her & Jackson, Stiles asks:

** Stiles ** : So...You guys talked?

** Jackson ** : Yeah...

** Lydia ** : What he meant is that we agree to make the Pact.

** Jackson ** : I don't like it! Lydia...You don't have to sacrifice yourself to save me like this! 

** Lydia ** : Jackson! We talked about it! I told you...I won't do anything that I don't want to! I might be young but I know damn well what I'm doing and I know that bidding myself to you is a big deal but it's not a sacrifice! Even it does, it is still worth it! So please shut up and do as I say!

Typically, Jackson has no chance to win when arguing with Lydia. Hence, he keeps his mouth shut, but his face says otherwise! Unlike what people think of him, Jackson is not heartless! As she said, the Pact will bind them for the rest of their lives and they will become soulmates for God's sake! They're young and this is huge and there is no turning back from this! All of that makes Jackson feels more like a dick of himself for breaking up with her. After everything he did, she still sticks by him no matter what...

** Stiles ** : Alright! You guys had your agreement, but I also want to say that... YES! The Pact will bind your souls together for the rest of your life and you guys could share anything & everything! But you still could keep your memories & your minds away from each other as long as you want to. All you need to do is keeping it in mind and then the Pact will do the rest. Plus, the soulmate bond won't force you guys to do any...sexual activities. Therefore, you guys could have a very platonic relationship without any having sex...I mean...You still could do it if you wanted, but it's all up to you...I'm going to shut up now! 

With a single raised eyebrow, Lydia talks to Stiles in amusement:

** Lydia ** : Stiles...Thank you! I appreciate it! It's really making me feel better to make the Pact! 

** Jackson ** : So do I...Thank you, Stilinski! 

Stiles could clearly see the pain in Jackson's face saying "Thank you" to him. Deciding to spare himself & Jackson from the awkwardness, Stiles quickly accepts it and let it passes:

** Stiles ** : Um...You're welcome! Okay...So, let's the show rolling, shall we? 

Pulling the pocket knife stolen from the Argents out of his pocket, Stiles unfolds it while talking to Lydia & Jackson:

** Stiles ** : First thing first...To make the pact, I will need your blood! So...Give me your hands, please?

Following Stiles's instruction, Lydia & Jackson give out their hands to Stiles. Grabs their hands, Stiles carefully slashes their palms open with minor scratches. Folds up and puts the knife back to his pocket, Stiles tells them:

** Stiles ** : Okay! So...Hold your hands together tightly for me, okay?

They do as he said, holding each other hands tightly, then Stiles begins to chant... 

Magic is as complicated as simple at the same time! To make magic works, you will need 4 things: Power sources, Ingredients, Formulas, and Intentions! 

Let's talk about the power sources for a bit! Every living creature has the power inside their bodies. It could be the life force, it could be the heritage lying dormant inside your blood, it could be the magic runs through your veins...It could be a lot of things! However, as people always said: Nothing in life is free! If you wanted something, you needed to give something up...And magic works the same way! If you wanted to achieve something with magic, your power sources must powerful enough to fulfill your intentions! Many have the power sources too weak to do anything, some have the power sources powerful enough that could do  _ something _ ! And in Stiles's case...He has enough power to do anything he wants! Sadly, Stiles hasn't known it...yet! 

Next is Ingredients & Formulas! Now...This is what makes magic the most complex art ever! There is a trillion of magical ingredients & formulas in the World so that you could achieve anything with magic! All you need to do is finding the right ingredients and the right formulas to make it works! 

Last but not least is the Intentions! You must know what you want to do before doing anything, especially when it comes to magic! Because, let me tell you, magical backfire will be the pain in the ass if you did it wrong! 

Luckily...Stiles has all of that to make the Pact happens! 

He has Lydia & Jackson's blood as ingredients for the pact; he has the spell as the formula to create the pact correctly; he knows exactly what he's doing, and the most important is that his magic is powerful enough to fulfill his intentions! The combination of all of that makes the impossible becomes possible! 

At first...Stiles was afraid that he could not do it, could not perform the spell to create the Pact, could not make it happen! He is just too new to magic, and it scares the shit out of him! But something has to be done and someone has to do something or else...all Hell will break loose! And that would do no one any good. Hence, since Stiles knows exactly what to do and how to do it, he will be that "someone"...He just...does not feel confident enough to do it. But what can he say? He is reckless! So...He does it anyway! Thankfully, the more he chants, the more confident he feels, and the more he believes in himself that he could make it works! 

Thereafter of hearing Stiles's chanting, everyone in the warehouse finally notices the change in the air! Despite having no intentions to display his magic; However, the longer Stiles chants, the more powerful he becomes. Blue auroras leaking out of Stiles's body are now dancing brilliantly around him while radiating with power that pins all of them to their places. His eyes are burning electric blue with magic so strong that no one dares to look at him in the eyes. In the air, magic is thickening, making the air felt heavy on their skins. The Wolves begins to smell the scents of ozone, of hydrogen, of forests after the rains and of thunderstorms...They smell the scents of magic! 

Except for Peter & Chris, who have already had several encounters with casters and magic, the display of magical power performed by Stiles had made the rest of them stunned! Never that they thought themselves to say something like this...But they are afraid of Stiles! 

However, some people didn't even bat an eye at Stiles's display of power...

To Lydia, she has already had some suspicious that Stiles has magic! She is also suspicious that the reasons Stiles now has magic are something to do with what happened to him tonight! She will fight everyone telling her that the bloody shredded shirt, the bruised all over his face have nothing to do with Stiles becomes magical! 

To Peter...Well...Peter is looking at Stiles with the enthralling in his eyes as if Stiles is the most wonderful thing in the World! When Peter offered Stiles the Bite, he knew Stiles would become an outstanding werewolf. At the night of Winter Ball, grabbing Stiles's arm in his hand, all Peter had in his mind was that he wanted the loyalty to the fault of Stiles to himself, he wanted the braveness to stand against the monster that could easily tear you apart to protect your loved one of Stiles to himself; he wanted the flexible morality; he wanted the clever brain of Stiles to himself! He had wanted Stiles to become his Beta so badly that he actually respected Stiles's decision of rejecting the Bite and let Stiles go! He had planned to come back to persuade Stiles to become his Beta after dealing with Derek and getting his revenge...Unfortunately; he didn't have a chance to do it! But now...After coming back from death and seeing Stiles's display of power, Peter wants Stiles to become his Beta even more! And Peter will make sure it happens this time! 

Having no ideas about the fears of his friends, the suspicion of Lydia, and the plan to once again persuade him to join Peter as a Beta, Stiles focuses all of his intentions & wills to wield his magic with full force to perform the spell! To be honest, Stiles is surprised that Itachi still could perform this spell while nearly being killed by the Nemeton! Because let's get real: this spell is difficult and requires a lot of magic! 

Thankfully, he succeeds! 

Nearly passing out when finishing the spell, Stiles feels grateful when Peter catches him before he could land his face on the ground! Why? Well...Stiles really does not want everyone to see his weakness, okay? Leaning on Peter's firm arms, Stiles tries to regain his strengths & balances while speaking to Peter breathlessly:

** Stiles ** : Thank you...

** Peter ** : It's my pleasure, Stiles! 

Having no strength inside his body, so instead of making any retort, Stiles just simply rolls his eyes at Peter and then ignores him for the time being. Taking a few deep breaths, Stiles checks on the Pact he just created and DAMN! He really did a wonderful job! The pact was successfully made, the soulmate bond was created, Lydia & Jackson are now bound for the rest of their lives, and the most important is Jackson is now ground! This means that his humanity will be intact and nothing could suppress them! Stiles is super proud of himself! 

** Itachi ** : For a newbie and for the first time casting the spell as complex as this, I gotta say that you absolutely did a wonderful job, Stiles! 

** Stiles ** : Thank you...I really appreciate that!

In spite of not doing great with compliments, Stiles, however, will take this compliment from Itachi! He tried his best and worked his ass off to make it happen! He fucking earned it! 

After regaining enough strength to stand on his own, Stiles withdraws himself from Peter's arms. Looking at Lydia & Jackson, Stiles asks:

** Stiles ** : How do you guys feel?

** Jackson ** : It feels...weird! 

** Lydia ** : Yeah...Weird is the correct word. I could feel Jackson's presence in the back of my mind and…Well, The bonds too...

** Jackson ** : Yeah...The bonds! I could feel it clearly & visibly inside my head! I could also feel some emotions of Lydia through the bonds as well as some memories...

** Lydia ** : Me too...

** Stiles ** : Great! It means that the Pact is working! Just give it a little time and then you guys could block your memories from each other. Also, you guys will be able to send information & visions through the bonds! But that is for another time! Right now! We have something else to do! 

** Jackson ** : And what would it be, Stilinski?

** Stiles ** : Well...After being bitten, you turned into a creature named Kanima! A Kanima has a Beta form & an Alpha form! Right now, you are in your Beta form. And although your humanity will no longer be suppressed, you still need to finish your transformation from Beta to Alpha. 

** Jackson ** : Okay...Let's do it! 

** Stiles ** : Great! Derek...Please bite him! 

With a single raised eyebrow, Derek follows Stiles's instruction and moves forwards the barrier. Stopping himself facing the Mountain Ash's lines, Derek talks to Stiles: 

** Derek ** : Stiles...Breaks the Mountain Ash...

** Stiles ** : Oh...Don't worry about that! The barrier won't stop you! 

Scowls on his face and sends Stiles a questioning look, Derek carefully walks through the barrier...And true to Stiles's words, the barrier doesn't stop him. It likes you walk through an invisible curtain soaked in icy water making the barrier felt cold in his skin when he walked through it...But besides that, nothing happens! Derek has known for sure that this is impossible for Werewolves to walk through the Mountain Ash's barrier like this! If it was possible, his family wouldn't die in the fire...Stiles has to do something to make this impossible thing possible and it makes Derek feels disturbing! 

Standing before Jackson, Derek asks him:

** Derek ** : Give me your hand. 

Grabbing Jackson's hand, which was nervously sending out to him by Jackson, Derek looks Jackson in the eyes and says:

** Derek ** : This will hurt! 

** Jackson ** : Okay...

Without no more warning, Derek lets his Alpha's spark runs through his veins, lets his wolf raises to the surface making his eyes bleed crimson red while his face transforms into his Beta's form. With the power of the Alpha's spark runs through his blood, Derek bites Jackson in the hand! 

Afterward, the next and only thing everyone could hear is the agony scream of Jackson! 

Before their eyes, Jackson is now writhing in agony on the cement floor. They could see the blood veins in all of Jackson's body are now popping up with pressures which they scare it will explode. Jackson's body is now covered in blood leaking out of his body from all his pores. And the worst is his bones! They could hear and see clearly that Jackson's bones are now twisting, breaking, and morphing into different places! God! The broken bone's sound is terrible! It makes all of them feel green in their faces! 

Horrified by the scene before her, Lydia asks:

** Lydia ** : Stiles! What is going on?

Before Stiles could answer Lydia's question and, to be honest, Stiles has no idea what's happening either! He was cut off by the loudest scream from Jackson! Looking back, Stiles now sees Jackson's hands & shoulders are now snapped, broken, and expanded to quite a length with something like membranes covered on both sides of his hands! Jackson's shoulders & hands are now looked exactly like bat wings! His trouser is also shredded to pieces to make a place for his scaly long tail. Two horns are growing from Jackson's head at the same time the spikes growing along his spines. Next thing Stiles now is the entire body of Jackson's now stretching from every angle! If the bat wings had caught Stiles by surprised then Jackson's neck was absolutely making him questions everything in his life! Because...WHAT THE FUCK! Jackson's neck is now stretching as well!

Having no idea of what's happening, Stiles asks the only person who might have answers for this...whatever this is!

** Stiles ** : Itachi! What the fuck is going on? I thought Jackson will wrap himself in a cocoon created by his venoms for finishing his transformation? 

** Itachi ** : Well...That was what I thought too!

** Stiles ** : But this is not a freaking vicious cocoon! 

** Itachi ** : Yeah! It's definitely not!

** Stiles ** : Then how could it even happen?

** Itachi ** : I really have no idea! Technically, the Kanima only transforms one time, but your Kanima has to transform 2 times. So...I guess this happens when the Kanima takes 2 times to finish its transformation! 

** Stiles ** : Fuck!

Now Stiles could see the logic in Itachi's assumption. And fuck himself for thinking Itachi was right! There have to be some prices to pay when the Kanima takes 2 times to finish its transformation, right? Looks at Jackson right now and Stiles honestly feels sorry for him! Because...DAMN! It looks painful! And fucking bloody! Jackson's blood is spilled everywhere and Stiles swears he sees a lot of fleshes in the blood as well...

Seeing Lydia's attempt to come closer to Jackson, Stiles stops her before she could take any step further:

** Stiles ** : Lydia! Don't! I know it looks...well...it is painful and bloody! But! I think it is because Jackson has to finish his transformation a second time! So...I think we should wait until it ends without interfering! 

After giving Stiles a long and intense look, Lydia gives in, takes a deep breath and steels herself, Lydia waits for the transformation to end... Meanwhiles, Stiles has to stretch his barrier larger given the fact that the transformation is making Jackson bigger at every second. Not only the transformation is bloody and painful, but also it takes quite a long time to finish! Damned it! Hearing Jackson screams himself in agony for at least 2 hours and a half is a horrendous experience ever! Nothing about Jackson's transformation is pleasant to their ears and eyes! So...Let's not doing it again! Or never! 

Thankfully, the transformation is finally finished! 

And then...

** Peter ** : FUCK! 

Oh yeah! FUCK! Fuck is the right reaction of them seeing what Jackson has become! Before their eyes, a very new, very inhuman, a very scaly Jackson appears inside the barrier! Who is looking at them with his big reptile's yellow scary eyes! God! Being looked at by those eyes is not fun at all! 

There are reasons for humans to scare reptiles creatures so much that we imprinted our fears of reptiles in our genes and then passed it down from generations after generations! Look at Jackson now...and then you will see the reasons for that! 

They are all now as stunned as marble because they honestly don't know what to do! This...This new form of Jackson is just way beyond their imagination! 

Jackson now is nothing but a very vicious predator with the size of a mini truck! Green scales are now covered all of his body while glowing with the color of darkly emerald when he moves! His claws & fangs are so sharp and have an impressive size that could easily tear everything apart! Huge spikes grew along his spines from his head to his tail. His neck is stretched long and has 2 horns from both sides of his head. But the most impressive thing about Jackson's Alpha form is his wings! Jackson now has the bat-like-wings replaced for his hands that are huge and could easily spread up to at least 8 meters. Stiles has no doubt that Jackson now gains the ability to fly with those wings! 

Stiles realizes Jackson looks exactly like a...Wyvern! 

GOD! Stiles really needs to sit down! Now...Now Stiles has a theory of where people got ideas of Dragon from! Because...Fuck! Jackson is now a Dragon! A Wyvern to be more specific! But a Dragon nonetheless! Stiles honestly has no idea that Dragon is an actual thing! Until now!

** Itachi ** : You said...This is a Dragon! Really? I don't think he is a Dragon...

** Stiles ** : Of course he is a Dragon! What are you talking about? Just...Look at him! He has scales and claws and fangs and bat-like-wings! Oh, God! Please...Do not tell me he could breathe fire now! If he will, I'm going to drool over him! And that is disgusting! Because...I still hate Jackson though! 

** Itachi ** : What I'm talking about is that Jackson is just a shapeshifter who  _ accidentally _ could shift himself into a Dragon-like-creature! However, There are Dragons, of course, and your Western's kind of Dragon is...strange! To me...They are more like giant lizards with bat-like-wings and look so much different compared to my kind of Dragon... 

** Stiles ** : OMG! Are you telling right now that Asia's kind of Dragon is real too? Have you seen them?

** Itachi ** : Of course they are real, Stiles! I have lived for 1000 years and I've seen things! Besides, Asia's kind of Dragon had been worshiped for over 5000 thousand years, you know? So...Of course, they are real! You should have seen them! They are truly majestic creatures... 

** Stiles ** : Wow...I hope I could see them someday! 

Stiles does hope that he could see them! Stiles has been always fascinating with Dragons since he was a toddler! The idea that Itachi had seen Dragons, even if it was Asia's kind of Dragon, is still making Stiles feels over the moon! But right now, he has another Wyvern - Yeah! Stiles will define Jackson as a Dragon and he will fight with tooths and nails if someone could tell him otherwise - standing right in front of him that needed to be deal with. So...Being a reasonable person as he is, Stiles suppresses his excitement of finding out that Dragon is real and then gather all of his focuses on Jackson.

Knowing that it is a terrible idea to provoke Jackson when he is in his vicious predator self, Stiles turns back to look at Lydia and tells her:

** Stiles ** : Lydia...Could you please try to talk to him? 

Nodding her head in reply, Lydia turns her focus on Jackson and says:

** Lydia ** : Jackson! Are you still in there? Do you understand me? 

At first, Jackson doesn't reply to Lydia making all of them on edges, but thank God! After a minute...Jackson seems to snap out of whatever thought he's having and then shakes his head viciously making his scales glowing by his motions. Following, Jackson sets his gaze on Lydia and lets out the huff! 

Seeing it as a good sign, Lydia keeps talking: 

** Lydia ** : Jackson…If you understood me, please nodded your head, okay?

When Jackson nods his Dragon's head in reply, all of them nearly die in relief! They have no desire to fight a giant Wyvern tonight! Nope! Not at all! Stiles honestly feels like to thank all the Gods above & below for Jackson being sane! 

However, Stiles realizes that they now have a bigger problem! 

** Stiles ** : Lydia…Can you ask him if he could transform back? We can’t leave if he stayed in this form!

** Lydia ** : Okay…Jackson! Can you transform back into…I don’t know! Something is more…human?

All of them pray that Jackson won't be stuck in this form! How could they leave the warehouse if Jackson was in this form? There is no way to explain to the civilians if a Wyvern showed up in Beacon Hills! Mountain lion could not help them this far! 

After hearing what Lydia said, Jackson is now huffing in annoyance attempting to transform back. He is circling viciously inside the barrier - in which Lydia & Stiles & Derek & Peter have already got out - like a feral dog captured in the cage. Minutes passed as seeing Jackson snarling, huffing, and even scratching brutally leaving huge marks on the cement floor, Stiles knows that this is a lost cause! There is no way that Jackson could transform back into his human form! 

They need to do something! 

** Stiles ** : Lydia! Talk to him! 

** Lydia ** : What? What do you mean?

** Stiles ** : What I mean is a werewolf need to be calmed to control the shift. Even though Jackson looks like a freaking Dragon right now, I believe it still could apply to him! And right now, he is nowhere near calm! So...We need to calm him down and you're the only one who could do it. You're his soulmate, he responds to your voice, he will listen to you. So...Talk to him! Calm him down! And guide him to transform back! 

The logic in Stiles's suggestion is undeniable and undebatable which earned Stiles an admired look from Peter. The next thing they know - Lydia - following Stiles's suggestion - is now talking to Jackson with the most soothing tone ever. Lydia honestly doesn't know how to calm down a giant Dragon with the size of a mini truck, so she talks to him as if she is trying to calm down a person who has a panic attack. 

She tells him to close his eyes, to follow her voice, takes deep breathes, in and out, in and out...After a while of just breathing, it's working! 

They could see that Jackson is no longer one step ahead of mauling them to pieces but actually calm down enough to sit down! Seeing it as a good sign, without knowing how to guide Jackson to transform back, Lydia decides to follow her hunch by telling Jackson to imagine himself transform back to his human form. The result is phenomenal! 

Maybe it was because of Lydia being Jackson's soulmate, maybe it was because Jackson is calm enough to transform himself back, or maybe it was because they were lucky...Stiles doesn't know and he also doesn't give a fuck! All he cares about is that slowly and slowly...Jackson's body morphs into another form! And when the morphing is finished, standing right in front of them is a very naked human Jackson! 

God! Stiles needs bleach to erase the image of naked Jackson out of his mind! It's just disturbing! 

However...Not everyone is disturbed by a naked Jackson! Wasting no time, Lydia runs through the barrier then throws herself into his arms. They're now hugging each other tightly as if they are at the end of the world. Seeing the scene before him, Stiles has to look away. Well... What can he say? Seeing the girl you liked in the embrace of another boy is not fun to watch! It's true that Stiles only liked the ideal of Lydia, but he did like her nonetheless! And watching her and Jackson holding on each other for dear life is like a punch to his guts! So... Please excuse him for minutes to be petty! He's just human after all... But nevermind! Stiles will get over it! He's sure he is! He just needs some time and some good sleep then Stiles will good to go! 

After a while, Lydia & Jackson let go of each other's embrace, Stiles could see tears in their eyes and he knows that they will want more time together but Stiles needs to make sure whether Jackson is stable or not. Therefore, with a wave of his wrist, Stiles breaks the barrier! He would say that it feels much better when he doesn't need to maintain the barrier anymore! Steps closer to these lovebirds before him, Stiles speaks:

** Stiles ** : Hey...I know you guys will want more time together, but I need to check up on Jackson. So...Jackson! Tell me how do you feel?

** Jackson ** : I.. Actually, I feel...brilliant! Yeah! I feel amazing! It likes I have finally comfortable in my own skin. But I think I will need more time to completely control the shift... 

** Stiles ** : Awesome! From now on, you won't be controlled by anyone anymore! About the shift, takes all the time you want! I sure you will control it perfectly in no time! But...Please don't maul people just because they piss you off, okay?

That makes all of them laughing! Oh God! If a few days ago, someone told him that he will laugh at a joke with no one but Jackson & Lydia, Stiles would laugh at their faces and tell them they're hallucinating! But...Here they are! Laughing with each other carelessly! Life is definitely full of surprise! 

When the laugh dies out, Lydia is the first one to speak:

** Lydia ** : Stiles...Thank you! Thank you for everything!

** Stiles ** : Um...Nah! You don't have to! I just did what I have to...

** Jackson ** : No, Stiles...You saved my life! I know we hated each other, but you still helped me! So...Thank you! And...I'm sorry for being a dick to you. You are a good person, Stiles! 

Stiles is...speechless! He never thought that, of all people, Jackson is the one to say sorry and thank him. Stiles meant it when he said that he just did what has to be done. Because it was true! Helping and saving Jackson is the right thing to do and is the thing that needs to be done. If not...his life & the life of all people he cares about will be damned! Moreover, despite used to hate Jackson - Stiles still is - Stiles also knows that Jackson doesn't deserve to be controlled and used as a weapon like that. Hearing Jackson says sorry and says thanks to him like this, really makes him feel so much better about himself! He did the right thing and he succeeded it! 

** Stiles ** : Well...You're welcome! 

They all go silent afterward. Really...There is nothing needed to be said anymore. They might not be befriended in the past but after all of this madness and after they're finally acknowledged each other, they could become good friends someday! 

Now...Since Stiles has solved Jackson's scaly problem, he finally has time to set his other plans in motions named finding Erica & Boyd! 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	14. Chapter 14

If you think Stiles would forget about finding Eric & Boyd, you were wrong! 

The moment he set eyes on the Argents, he thought about asking them where Erica & Boyd are! But due to the recent circumstance named Jackson, Stiles had to let it passed. But since Jackson's scaly problem was solved regaining him his freedom while also achieving his Alpha form that looks exactly like a Wyvern, Stiles finally has time and energy to find Erica & Boyd. 

Giving Lydia & Jackson one last nod, Stiles turns his head back to look at the Argents, he asks:

** Stiles ** : Now...Since I'm no longer need to worry about Jackson's scaly problem, I finally have time to  _ deal _ with you...Argents! Tell me...Where are Erica and Boyd?

With the last word, Stiles sets loose of his magic! Feeling power runs through his veins and magic burns through his eyes making them shining brilliantly electric blue, Stiles sets his burning gaze on the Argents to makes sure they notice his statement of which he  _ will _ deal with them in a very painful way if they did not give him the satisfying answers! 

Stiles would not say that he is an aggressive person but he will react vigorously and mercilessly if someone crossed his lines! Too bad! The Argents have crossed his so many lines. Therefore...They will suffer his wraths! 

Having magic is one thing, but being powerful is another thing! Stiles might not notice but he  _ is _ powerful on his own, and by bidding himself to 2 other powerful magical being named Itachi & Nemeton, Stiles's magic becomes a raw power that is nearly boundless. All Stiles needs is time to learn, to manifest, and to wield his magic at his command. But at this very moment, this doesn't matter! 

With only limited knowledge of magic, Stiles is still a force to be reckoned with! Therefore, the moment Stiles sets loose all of his magic, Itachi & Nemeton immediately respond to his action and lend him their magic making everyone in the warehouse frozen in their places! In no amount of time, magic has thickened in the air causing all of them to feel like they could not breathe! 

Of course, Stiles's actions have consequences... 

The first to react to his words is the Argents! What Stiles said makes blood runs out of Allison's face while puts shame on Chris's! Never be a saint, Stiles takes pleasure seeing them like this. Indeed! Someone needs to give Stiles a medal for only threatening them with magic instead of doing something more vicious or more drastic, after everything they did! Still, Stiles has theories that Allison & Chris might have no hands in the kidnapping and torturing him. But what can he say? Gerard & his goons were dead and Stiles was petty! So, please...Excuse him to be such a dick to them! They've deserved it anyway! 

Tensions filled between Stiles and the Argents that could be felt by everyone in the warehouse, the next reactions Stiles received are Derek asking him in concern while Scott shouting questions to him:

** Derek ** : Stiles! Why do you ask about Erica & Boyd? What happened?

** Scott ** : Stiles! What are you doing? 

Stiles knows that he puts everyone on edges with his display of power, especially the Wolves! Hence, he kinda understands Derek's reactions as growling and questioning him. Derek is the Alpha and Erica & Boyd's Alpha after all. So after hearing about his two supposedly ran away Beta from Stiles, of course, Derek will have questions. But the shouting from Scott? Stiles honestly does not understand! It's not even about him! Why though? Or is it because of him threatening his ex-but-not-ex girlfriend?

Deciding to spare his brain from having an aneurism for examining Scott's reactions, Stiles simply turns a deaf ear to him and answer Derek instead:

** Stiles ** : Well...Our little warrior Princess here had captured your Betas then left them for Gerard to have some  _ funs _ with them; such as hung them in the cellar of their basement and electrocuted them! 

After hearing Stiles's last word, Derek goes full-wolfed-out! Derek is now looked exactly like the werewolf monster in those fairytales he used to hear. His face morphs into the Beta form that looks more like a wolf than a human. His eyes are bleeding crimson red with the intent to kill. Claws and fangs are in display readied to maul his prey to pieces. Furs are growing on his face and hands while he's snarling and growling ferociously at the Argents! There is no need to say that Derek is furious! Despite being rejected by Erice & Boyd as their Alpha, Derek still feels responsible for them. He created them! So if they were hurt by Allison, Derek will seek revenge on her for their behalf! 

Seeing the scenes before him, Scott - acting like a Prince in his shiny armour - steps between Derek & the Argents while also goes wolfed-out to shield them from Derek. Which is a big mistake! Because Derek now is angrier! God! Stiles honestly doesn't know what to think of Scott's naivety anymore. Does Scott not realize that he literally challenges Derek? A Beta challenges an Alpha? For a Hunter? What the hell! How Scott think of doing this is a good thing is absurd to Stiles! 

Consequently, the Face-Off between Derek & Scott makes things worse!

Steps ahead, claws out, green scales appearing covered all of the body, Jackson is now shielding Lydia from the Face-Off Duo & the Argents in his Beta form. Stiles really feels relief when Jackson doesn't go all out and shows off his Alpha form. Because that would not a pleasant for his ears & eyes if the transformation is as bad as it did not long ago. 

Meanwhile, despite having no desire to be protected as a damsel in distress, Lydia is still smart enough to know that it is a good thing to have Jackson as a muscle on her side. So she lets him be...Shielding her from any physical attack while she stays behind and be the Mastermind! 

In the meantime, responding to their Alpha's actions, the rest of the Wolves are now wolfed out too. Distress is visibly on Isaac's feature as seeing his Alpha is just one step ahead of ripping his new best friend's head off. Conflicted emotions wash over his feature because well...Isaac likes the company provide by Scott but Derek is his Alpha. Seeing them too close to kill each other like this making him feels sick in his stomach! Isaac honestly doesn't know which side should he choose?

In the meantime, Stiles is  _ slightly _ amused by Isaac's feature! For God's sake! Despite being in his Beta form, Isaac somehow still manages to look like a kicked puppy and Stiles has to give it to him! That kicked puppy's look in the Beta form is  _ golden _ ! Scott has to rub on Isaac a lot to transfer this kicked puppy's look to him! 

Takes a glance to look at Peter now, Stiles then begins to feel a little sorry for Scott. Right now, Peter is having his I'm-scheming-to-murder-you-as-painful-as-possible face and this face...is scary as fuck! Stiles doesn't know about Scott but he definitely doesn't want to go against Peter when he has this face on! Last time Peter has it, he went on the killing spree and killed a bunch of people!  _ Bloodily _ ! 

Scheming-Peter is dangerous, Dangerous-Peter means Murder-Peter! And Murder-Peter is bad! Bad boy! While setting Peter on fire the first time was necessary, Stiles has no desire to repeat his action for a second time! 

But Scott is being Scott! To make the matters worse, he can't help himself but starts talking:

** Scott ** : NO! You were wrong! Allison would never do that! 

That earns Scott some dangerous growls from both Peter & Derek! Rolling his eyes, Stiles says in disbelieving:

** Stiles ** : Wow...Scott! Just...Wow! There are so much I want to say about you right now and I don't even know where to begin with...But! First! I wonder whether should I call you brave or stupid? Are you  _ not _ realizing that you're standing against an Alpha? Who is stronger and has more experiences in combat than you! Besides, why don't you ask your precious Princess here? Ask her! Did  _ she _ kidnap Erica & Boyd? 

Everyone now has eyes on Allison, at the same time with Scott turns back to look at her with questions in his eyes. Feeling all the attention focuses on her, Allison suddenly feels...angry!

Allison is angry at her aunt for being a psychopath who killed innocent people just because of what they are and not because they do something wrong. Allison is angry at her parents for hiding everything from her and making her life feels like a lie. Allison is angry at her mom for choosing to kill herself leaving her behind. Allison is angry at her family's tradition of killing Werewolves which had destroyed her relationship with Scott! Making her could not be with him although she loves him so much. Allison is angry at her grandfather for being such a hypocrite and for using her! 

Allison is angry at everyone and everything! But the one she is angry at the most is...herself. Damned it! How could she is so stupid? How could she not notice that she was being used by both Kate & Gerard? How could she do such horrible things? How could she hurt Erica & Boyd knowing that they didn't do anything wrong? How could she break the Code that she values so much? How could she become such a horrible person...like this? 

In between the rage at herself, Allison knows she deserved it when Stiles asked her with hatred visibly in his voice; or when Derek went full-wolfed-out readying to tear her apart; or when Peter looked at her with the murderous look in his eyes...Therefore, as Scott looks at her with questions in his eyes while hopes that she will tell him that Stiles was wrong! Allison just couldn't bring herself to care anymore and simply answer Stiles's questions honestly:

** Allison ** : I did...

The betrayed look on Scott’s face after hearing what Allison said is heartbreaking. For Allison and Stiles as well...

Stiles would comfort Scott if he didn’t need to step forward for stopping Derek from shredding Allison to pieces! Killing Allison will cause more troubles than solving anything, and Stiles also needs her alive to tell him where Erica & Boyd are. However, as standing against Derek and looking straight at his crimson eyes, Stiles can't help but feels like an idiot for doing exactly what Scott just did! 

Sighing inwardly, Stiles steels himself at Derek’s growling:

** Derek ** : Stiles! Get out of my way!

** Stiles ** : No, Derek! I need her alive to answer my questions that  _ might _ help me find your Betas! So chill out and back off!

Growling in frustrations, Derek couldn't do anything but do as Stiles said! Stiles was right! They need Allison & Chris alive to help them find his ex-Betas. Knowing he did a right thing and liking it is very different; Therefore, although taking a step back and leaving Stiles to do the questioning, Derek still can't hold himself back from sending hatred glares and murderous growls at the Argents. 

One last nod after making sure that Derek won't leap forwards to attack the Argents, Stiles turns back to look at them then asks:

** Stiles ** : Well...Now,  _ please _ tell me where are Erica & Boyd? Where did you hide them?

Surprisingly, Chris is the one to answer Stiles:

** Chris ** : I set them free!

Totally caught by surprised, Stiles asks in disbelieved! 

** Stiles ** : You set them free?

** Chris ** : Yes, I freed them and let them go! I thought they will come to Derek...

** Derek ** : They did not come to me!

** Chris ** : Then I honestly don't know what to say! We are not capturing them anymore!

And that is the wrong thing to say! 

Derek is now growling even more vicious and more murderous causing Chris pulls out his guns aimed at him as Allison pulls out her hunting daggers. Which makes it even worse! Thankfully, although it's a very close call, Derek still manages to hold himself back from killing the Argents because Stiles, at this very moment, needs time to think and to process his crisis! NO! Stiles needs to be sure before he has a meltdown. Knowing Derek is pointless at this very moment to be levelheaded, Stiles asks the only person he knows that could be clearheaded in this kind of situation:

** Stiles ** : Peter, please tell me they're lying! 

** Peter ** : No, Stiles. They're telling the truth... 

The grimaces on Peter's face telling him that it pains him to say such things! But it doesn't matter anymore! What matters is that the Argents are telling the truth! And now? Now Stiles has every reason to flip out! 

Chris was being honest which means Erica & Boyd had already gotten out! But then why didn't they come to Derek? Or anyone in the known of supernatural to help them help him? Stiles's not complaining, okay? He is not! But let's get real here: In the last moment of him in that basement, Erica & Boyd must know that Gerard & his goons were going to get rid of him! Gerard said that much! Therefore, If they got out, Stiles would love them or Derek or anyone for that's mattered...To come to rescue him! 

The fact that Erica & Boyd had already gotten out and didn't come to help or find someone to help him, likes a knife stabbed through his heart! Stiles had known that they were not on speaking terms but he thought after sharing some  _ memorable moment _ which was being tortured  _ together _ for hours in that basement, they would become...acquaintances? Who would save each other if given the chances...right? 

Oh, God...He feels sick! Stiles knows for sure that he is having a panic attack right now! Tonight is just too much! Let's have a list, shall we?

He was kidnapped and tortured, and nearly died by bleeding out while hopelessly waiting for his so-called friends to come to rescue him. Then he fought against a 1000 years old devil-fox-spirit for his life! Just to be suffered by the worst pain ever! 

Having magic or not, Stiles is just human! And even the strongest person could break. Scott didn't come to save him is hurt like hell and knowing that Erica & Boyd left him behind to die is the last straw! 

Time passes meaninglessly as Stiles feels like he's no longer breathing. Air is no longer in his lungs and dark spots are dancing in his visions making everything around him is blurred in motions. The ground beneath him feels shaking as he thinks how he's always be left behind. His mom left him, Scott left him, Erica & Boyd left him too...Stiles just feels... ** worthless ** !

Someone is calling him but it sounds so vague, so far away as if it came from underwater. Stiles doesn't understand what they're saying nor he can make out what words they said...Until firm hands grab his shoulders forcefully snapped Stiles out of his panic mode for a second; enough for him to realize that Peter is the one who's talking to him all along.

** Peter ** : Stiles! Breath with me! In and out! In and out! In and out!

Unconsciously, Stiles follows Peter's instructions. Minutes passed and the only thing Stiles hears or feels is his breathing followed Peter's breathing. Never has he thought that Peter could be this...gentle. The tenderness in his voice as guiding him to breath is just so comfortable and so serene. It eases his ragging mind and settles his panic attack. Stiles can't help to think that if Peter had used this gentle tone to convince Stiles when he offered the Bite, Stiles would have accepted it.

After a while, Stiles regains his ability to breath on his own as he realizes that he just makes a fool of himself in front of...everybody! Fuck! Having a meltdown in front of Lydia has already embarrassed enough, but having a panic attack before everyone like this is just...insufferable! 

Stiles knows he shouldn't be ashamed for being emotionally unstable, hell, he has every excuse to be emotionally unstable; but he can't help feeling it! And he hates it! Goddamn it! He hates feeling weak! Every cell in his body is yelling at him to find some places to hide from this embarrassment. Yet, before he could dig up a hole and then buries himself for eternity, Stiles needs to say something first:

** Stiles ** : Thank you, Peter...I appreciate it a lot! 

** Peter ** : Don't mention it! As I said, anything for you, Stiles! Besides, I don't want to be buried by you when you bring the whole warehouse down. 

Startled, glancing around, Stiles finally notices the mess around him. True to Peter's words, everything inside the warehouse is in...disarray. Things are being flipped upside down or moved to different places. Dust is covered all over the place and Stiles swears he could see some cracks on the wall and even on the rafters! 

Fantastic! The only thing Stiles could think of that could cause all of this is...his magic! Apparently, as Stiles went into panic mode, his magic also went haywire! So...Good to know that the unstable mentalities and magic won't do well together as the result of the combination is just...chaotic! If not because of Peter, Stiles sure as hell would bring down the whole warehouse on them and then bury them all! 

Well...Lessons learned! From now on, Stiles definitely will be more careful with his magic. And, of course, he's going puts a leash on his emotions to make sure this will never happen again! 

Before Stiles could say anything, Lydia is on his sight followed by Jackson who is no longer in his Beta form. She asks:

** Lydia ** : Stiles! Are you alright? 

** Stiles ** : Yeah! I think so...

** Lydia ** : Are you sure?

** Stiles ** : 70% sure! 

** Jackson ** : 70% is quite high compared with how you look right now! You need to work better at your math, Stilinski!

Rolling his eyes in replying, bizarrely, Stiles somehow could see Jackson's concern beneath his tones. And that's just added one more thing on the list of peculiar things happened tonight. Jackson cares for his well-being? Now that's just weird! Besides, Stiles could do math pretty well - Thank you very much! Jokes aside, Stiles is surprisingly feeling alright despite just having a panic attack. Maybe he just needs a release of emotions? Maybe! He doesn't know! 

However, in the corner of his eyes, Stiles sees the cautions on the Argent's faces and the fears on Scott & Isaac's face. Great! Now, His best friend is afraid of him! Fantastic! 

** Well done, Scott! I have never afraid of your fury monthly problem, you know? ** \- Stiles thought.

Knowing that dwelling in pitty will do no good for his already fucked up mentality, Stiles manages to drag his eyes away from Scott and saves himself a tear. Turning back to look at Peter & Lydia & Jackson, Stiles can't help himself to feel glad that at least some people care about him despite he is a freaking mess. The concern on their looks really eases his mind and settles something inside him. 

Now that his mind is settled and is clearer, Stiles finds the fact that Erica & Boyd didn't come to Derek doesn't sit right to him. Okay! So...They didn't come to rescue him? That's fine! He'll deal with it. But they didn't come to Derek after got out is just...bizarre! No need to deny that Erica & Boyd has rejected Derek as their Alpha but they were tricked to be captured by Hunters and for all Stiles had read about Werewolves...The Betas will seek out for their Alpha to be comforted if they were hurt and also to be protected. Which means that as Erice & Boyd got out, their instinct would force them to seek out for Derek as their formal Alpha and the nearest Alpha in the area. Moreover, the last time he looked at them in the eyes, he had heard their silent farewell and it gave him a feeling that they would help him if they had a chance! 

Hence, It just doesn't make any sense! If they didn't come to Derek then something  _ must _ happen to them! Something had to stop them from following their instinct! Fuck! Inwardly slaps his head upside down, Stiles feels like an idiot! How could he not notice that before having a panic attack? It would have saved him from a lot of embarrassment... 

Stumbling to get on his feet, Stiles now has a new goal on his mind. He needs to find Erice & Boyd. They're out there somewhere and they need his help! And only God could stop him from die trying! But now is not the time! Not now! Stiles has experienced too much shit tonight! It's too much for handle; Therefore, he needs time to rest, to heal and to regain his strength. Furthermore, he needs time to gather intel and to work out some plans!

But first thing's first, Stiles needs to be sure that they're still alive. Looking at Derek, Stiles asked:

** Stiles ** : Derek! I need you to tell me that Erica & Boyd are still alive. I mean...You guys had to have pack bonds right? Could you still feel them?

Regardless of not feeling good at talking about his failure as being an Alpha, Derek still answers Stiles's question earnestly:

** Derek ** : Yeah...I still feel them. Our pack bonds are...faint and severe, but they're still alive. Why do you ask?

Hearing what Derek said nearly makes Stiles passes out in relief! He thanks all the Gods & Goddesses that Erice & Boyd are alive. No matter what happened to them and no matter where they are now, at least they're still breathing and Stiles will have more time to find them. 

** Stiles ** : Oh, God! Thank you for telling me that! You don't know how much relief I felt hearing this! So, I was thinking...You're their Alpha, or formal Alpha...or whatever, I don't know! What I mean is if they got out, their instincts would force them to seek you out as you being their formal Alpha & the nearest Alpha in Beacon Hills! But...

** Peter ** : But they didn't! After being hurt by Hunters, their instincts to seek out for their Alpha to be protected, to be comforted would be too strong to be overcome! Something must have happened to them...They are missing! 

** Stiles ** : Exactly! They're missing! They are out there somewhere! We need to find them, Derek! 

** Derek ** : Okay...So, How are we gonna do it?

** Stiles ** : Um...Right now? I have no idea! But I will figure something out! I know I will! 

** Peter ** : I know you will, Stiles! I have no doubt about that! 

Instead of replying Peter, Stiles turns back to set his gaze on the Argents, Stiles said:

** Stiles ** : Let me make myself clear! You Argents are nuts! The fact that you freed Erica & Boyd means nothing. Your family is disgusting! I despise all of you! Between me and your family? We have not done yet! And Allison? Get the grip of yourself! Because of next time! One wrong step? I  ** end ** you! 

No one dares to question Stiles's capabilities of doing such things. If there was one thing they learned tonight, it would be that it wasn't Lydia nor Peter, nor Jackson that they should be worried about, it would be Stiles! With the way his magic went haywire and nearly brought down the whole warehouse to burry them all, they couldn't imagine what Stiles capable of when he is in complete control of his magic! That thought sends chills to their bones...

Paying the rest of them no attentions, Stiles turns back to look at Lydia & Jackson. He said:

** Stiles ** : We're leaving! Let's get you guys home, okay? 

** Jackson ** : Okay! Let's go! 

** Lydia ** : God! I thought you never ask! Let's get out of here! 

Turning aside to talk to Derek & Peter:

** Stiles ** : I will try to figure out some plans to find Erica & Boyd. And Peter! We will talk later about our deal! 

** Derek ** : Alright... 

** Peter ** : I'm looking forward to it, Stiles! 

Feeling no need to reply, Stiles walks away heading to the SUV car while completely ignoring the yearning look from Scott. For once in his life, Scott manages to keep his mouth shut. Stiles honestly does not know what he would do if Scott said something stupid! Or worse...Defended Allison! It would absolutely be a disaster! 

With Lydia & Jackson trailing behind, opens the car door, waits until Lydia & Jackson get to the back seats, Stiles starts the car and then drives away...

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I was travelling with my co-workers so I didn't have much time to write. Also, this chapter was so hard! I already had the main storylines and I knew where I want it to go, but somehow I just could not word it out! 
> 
> Does anyone experience something like that? It just likes a pain in the ass! 
> 
> Anyway! Enjoy! Love u & Stay safe!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I wanna say that I'm sorry If anyone here has ADHD felt offended reading this chapter. I have read and looked up information about ADHD when I wrote about Stiles, but to be honest, I don't fully understand. Therefore, If there was any mistake or wrong information about ADHD, then please forgive me! 
> 
> To me, Stiles is a high functioning ADHD person with high IQ and extremely skilled at strategy! So, of course, he could think of every possibility and outcome to find the best solutions to solve something! That's why he is so smart in the canon! ^^
> 
> Enough for rambling! Please enjoy! <3

If Stiles had a bucket list, he was sure that having a very naked Jackson sitting on the back seat of his car will never be on the list! Due to the transformation, Jackson had shredded his clothes to pieces and in between all the madness happened in the warehouse; They accidentally had forgotten to borrow some clothes for Jackson and sweat mother of God...That was a huge mistake! 

Why? Thanks for asking! You see...Stiles is a perfectly healthy normal 17 years old teenage boy who is still trying to come in term with his sexual orientation. He loved Lydia for her outstanding intelligence and of course, Stiles wouldn't dare to lie that her beautiful appearance doesn't have an impact on his attraction to her. However...He never said that he did not fantasy any other men's physiques! Stiles honestly does not know what his sexual orientation is! He is not gay for sure...Although loving the woman's physiques, Stiles loves the men's physiques as well! Maybe he's Bisexual, or maybe he is Pansexual...Stiles doesn't know! One thing he knows for sure that he admires the beauty of human's physique so fucking much! Both male and female! Humankind loves labelled things but Stiles has never done well with labelled. So, Stiles will stick himself with being Queer! 

Besides, true to be told, Stiles has a very vivid imagination and right now...It's not really helpful since Jackson is just being so touchable! With sweat and muscles and abs, Jackson is literally an embodiment of a jock! And God forbids him for thinking that Jackson is hot as fuck! NO! Nope! He is not going to go in there! Having a boner caused by Jackson is very very inappropriate! 

** Goddamn it! I really need to get laid! ** \- Stiles thought.

Although admitting that he does slip his gaze off-road a few times to look at the rearview mirror, Stiles absolutely will give himself a medal for keeping his gaze on the road back to Lydia's house most of the time! They decided that it would be better if Jackson was fully dressed before he comes back home to announce his undead status to his parents. Plus, Stiles has no desire to face Miss & Mister Whittemore when they find out that their son is no longer dead. There will be a lot of tensions, a lot of awkward moments and a bunch of rollercoasters of emotions...And Stiles wanna stay the hell out of it! He already has a lot in his plate to figure out! 

Stopping the car at the roadside of Lydia's house, Stiles feels glad that her house is almost separate from the neighbour. Beacon Hills is a small town and small town civilians are very invested in gossiping. Sometimes Stiles was amazed by how the neighbours could spot criminals and even know a lot of things about them and their crimes, the information that even police officers didn't know! Therefore, Stiles would love them to not gossip about the Sheriff's kid drove to Martin's house in the middle of the night by an SUV car with a girl & a naked boy who accidentally is the son of the county's attorney...Only the thought of that was enough to make Stiles has a headache!

There is no light on Lydia's house which Stiles is also thankful for, it would be so much more awkward and would raise a lot more questions if Lydia's mom saw them in their current situations. As they get off the car, they turn back to say goodbye to Stiles:

** Lydia ** : Goodbye Stiles! Drive safe, okay? 

** Jackson ** : Bye, Stilinski! 

** Stiles ** : Bye! Goodnight! Or might I say good morning? Since it's already 3:37 AM! Also, try not to kill anyone when I'm not around, okay?

** Jackson ** : Fuck you, Stilinski! You're the one to talk! Now, get lost! 

** Stiles ** : Alright! Alright! Jesus! 

Before closing the car door, Stiles calls Jackson back:

** Stiles ** : Jackson! I know I'm being a hypocrite right now but I think you should talk to your parents about...everything. Trust me! Lying to your parents will do no good to you or anyone. I had my experiences on that! 

Minutes pass between them as Jackson just looks at Stiles with narrowed eyes and searching look while Lydia stays silence. Which makes Stiles thinks that he might just ruin their newfound acquaintanceship for saying something inappropriate. Thankfully, after a while of setting his look on Stiles's face and seems to satisfy with what he found, Jackson finally speaks:

** Jackson ** : I will consider that...

With a nod, Stiles said:

** Stiles ** : That's all I asked for! Bye, Jackson! Bye, Lydia!

Afterwards, Stiles closes the car door, pulls out of the roadside and drives away. But just right at he turns to the main road, widens his eyes, Stiles suddenly realizes he made a  ** HUGE ** mistake! 

OMG! How can he's still driving this fucking car! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! He was not supposed to drive it! This car wasn't supposed to appear on the road! It would have been disappeared! Why? Because this fucking car would be the evidence against Stiles if someone or anyone reported a missing case of Gerard's goons to the polices! Holy fuck! How could he not notice it before driving it all over the town? Goddamn it! How it's never cross his mind is absurd to Stiles! 

Slamming his foot to the brake, Stiles stops the car on the side road and then slams his head against the weel several times! Urgh!!!! Stiles can't believe he could be this stupid! America has CCTV cameras on almost every street of all over the States...And Beacon Hills is just no different! 

There are so many things to talk about his dad - John Stilinski - but one thing for sure that his dad is a good man and a very damn good Sheriff. His dad takes his job very seriously! Stiles doesn't know others Sheriff but he knows his dad! He knows that his dad is constantly checking up the CCTV cameras all over Beacon Hills to make sure it's working properly. In other words, Beacon Hills has a lot of CCTV cameras that are still working perfectly fine! Therefore, If someone reported missing cases, it would be only the matters of time before Stiles & this car was tracked down! And then...He will be damned! 

After a while of being self-hatred and requestioning his IQ for doing such idiotic action, Stiles takes a few deep breaths to settle his emotions and restarts his brain! 

** Alright! Mistake made! Now it's time to fix it! ** \- Stiles told himself.

Because of his ADHD, Stiles normally feels difficult to control his mind and to stay focus. But this time, he lets his mind runs free...With the ragging minds, sitting behind the wheel of the stolen car, Stiles runs over every possibility of how his crimes could be exposed and then finds the way to prevent it! 

Tonight he had committed several crimes that included breaking in a civilian's house, stealing a lot of things that cost quite a bit. He also murdered 2 persons in self-defences and then stole their car just to stupidly drove it all over the town for everyone to see! Now Stiles just has to find a way to keep everyone finds out all of this! Wouldn't be so hard, right? 

Urg!!!!! He hates himself! Okay! So...Here is the plans! 

Stiles has already planned to tell his dad about everything included his committed of murdering! Despite the strained relationship between them lately, Stiles has no doubt that his dad will be on his side no matter what. Even though it means that he has to cover Stiles's crimes which could cost him his career if someone found out his involvement. Stiles, for sure, will hate himself for eternity if it happened. But he doesn't have a choice! Logically, telling his dad everything is necessary and asking his help is the best solution he could think of. His dad has access and could easily erase everything involved this car on the surveillance systems before anyone could find out! See? Problems solved! 

Furthermore, If somehow his dad couldn't help him to erase the evident, Stiles always could do it himself. Stiles has been spending a lot of his free time in the station. All the deputies in the station have already known him for years and they won't question if they found Stiles pokes his nose at something he shouldn't be. However, it's still very risky doing such things so his dad still is the best choice.

Moreover, he also has Danny - a genius hacker on his corner! With an extremely skilled at hacking, Danny could always easily Waltz into the surveillance systems then erase all the evidence that could expose his crimes. If only Stiles could convince Danny to do it for him! To be honest, Stiles has no ideas on how to convince Danny because...well..technically, it will be considered as committed a crime for discarding the evidence but Stiles sure as hell will find the way! 

Maybe he could ask Lydia or Jackson to do the convincing? Or maybe he could ask both of them to convince Danny to help them discarding the evidence? God! He sounds so much like a manipulative shit! But, hey! That's who he is, right? Stiles won't deny it! However...Objectively speaking, both Lydia & Jackson was in the same car with him the whole time. Therefore, basically, they were his partners in crimes which means that they would be brought into the interrogation too if his crimes were exposed! Besides, having Danny on their side will be a great asset to all of them for dealing with all the madness happening in this forsaken's town! Stiles also thinks that Danny will be a great help in finding Erica & Boyd! 

After thinking everything through, Stiles finally has some solid plans to cover his crimes while also might help him to find Erice & Boyd along the way. It'll be a win-win situation for everyone, so...Stiles definitely will do it! But first thing's first...He needs this car to be disappeared! 

Starts the car, Stiles heads out to the abandoned railway depot where Derek has been hiding, and sulking, and living for the past months after the showdown with Kate Argent. Stiles needs a place to hide this car and the Preserve is just too far while the railway depot is much nearer and closer to his house. He is exhausted and has no energy to admire the beauty of the night of the walk back home from the Preserve after dumping this car! Therefore...the depot it is! 

The railway depot is also far enough to hide from the curious's eyes of civilians and formidable enough to keep out anyone from coming closer. There are, of course, some shitty teenagers and some drug dealers but that's okay. Normally, those people will only mind their own businesses which means they won't give a fuck about the newfound car in the depot. Plus, Stiles knows that Derek had scared them away for the past few months. When Stiles said that Derek scared away those people, he meant that Derek had literally lifted them off the ground by their throat with his bare hand and then threaten to kill them very painfully if they ever came back! All of that makes the railway depot becomes the perfect place for discarding evidence! 

Pulling over the railway depot, looking at how fallen this place is, Stiles can't help himself but wonders whether if Derek was punishing himself for everything that happened or just prefer to live this way. Because...Well...Living in an abandoned railway depot is not a good lifestyle! And Stiles knows for sure that Derek has enough money to afford the hotel's room! So...Why though? 

However, Stiles tells himself that whatever Derek chooses to do with his life, is none of his business. Derek is an adult, a grown-up man. Derek could make decisions for himself by himself. And Stiles, being a friend? Are they friend? He doesn't know! But he would like them to be...Will be there for Derek in case he needs a hand. 

Stops the car, opens the door and before Stiles could get off the car, Derek appears walking out of the railway depot. 

** Derek ** : Stiles, what are you doing here? Why didn't you be at your house?

** Stiles ** : I will! But first...I need to get rid of this car! And please don't ask me why, because I won't answer! 

Narrows his eyes, Derek asked with a single raised eyebrow:

** Derek ** : Really? 

** Stiles ** : Yes! Really! Totally! Absolutely! 100 %!

Rolling his eyes in replying, Derek points at his shirt and asks:

** Derek ** : You do know that you have blood on your shirt, right?

** Stiles ** : I know and I really don't wanna talk about it! Can we come back to where I said I want to get rid of this car, please?

** Derek ** : Fine...If you said so! 

** Stiles ** : Thanks! Alright! So...Do you have any spot in that lovely place of yours that I could hide this car?

Exhales a deep breath to restrain himself from irritating with Stiles's sarcasm, Derek said:

** Derek ** : Just give me the key, I'll hide it. 

** Stiles ** : Okay...That would do too! Here! Thank you very much! 

Gets off the car, lends out the key to Derek, Stiles stands awkwardly for a few seconds before asking:

** Stiles ** : Hey...How are you? You were injured, right? Is it heal already? Do you need any help?

** Derek ** : I'm fine! It's almost healed. You don't need to worry about that. Go home, Stiles! It's late. 

** Stiles ** : Well...I'm properly should to that! Great talk by the way! Bye, Derek! 

Derek was right, it's late and Stiles is restless! God! He misses his bed! So...Turns around, Stiles walks away only to be stopped as Derek calling him back:

** Derek ** : Are you walking back to your house?

** Stiles ** : Yes...?!

** Derek ** : Is that a question or an answer?

** Stiles ** : It's a statement! 

** Derek ** : Where is your Jeep? And whose car is this?

** Stiles ** : Roscoe is still at school and this car belongs to someone else... 

Realizing what Stiles just said, with both raised eyebrows, Derek asked in disbelieved:

** Derek ** : You stole a car?

It comes out more like a statement than a question making Stiles goes into defending mode: 

** Stiles ** : No...I'm not stealing anything! I borrowed it! Just...without asking the owner's permission first! 

** Besides, I'd already killed the owner before I could ask them to borrow their car! ** \- Stiles thought. 

Takes a couple of deep breaths, Derek said:

** Derek ** : You know what? I don't wanna know! Okay...Let me give you a lift! 

** Stiles ** : Really? You will do it? Thanks! 

Afterwards, Derek turns back to the railway depot to take his Camaro then gives Stiles a lift to his house. The drive back to his house with Derek is...nerve-wracking! Not because he's sitting side by side in the same car with Derek who was, not a few times, threatening him with physical harms, but because he's anxious to see his dad! Hell! Who is he kidding? Seeing his dad is scared the shit out of him! Why? Because Stiles doesn't know what would happen when his dad sees him in the bloody shirt and then gets to know about all the things Stiles did behind his back! 

Seeing the side-eyes from Derek, Stiles knows that his heart is pounding like crazy! But he can't help it! If Derek had something to say, he didn't! Derek just keeps his mouth shut and Stiles is thankful for that! Well...There is no time to chicken out, right? Telling himself that he just has to hope for the best! 

After 20 minutes, Derek finally pulls over his house. Stops at the front yard, Stiles feels relief when he sees no sight of his dad's cruiser; which means that his dad is not home! Thank God! He has time to change his clothes before facing the big showdown! 

Opens the car's door to get off, Stiles turns back and says:

** Stiles ** : Thanks for the drive, Derek! 

** Derek ** : You're welcome! And, Stiles...You know where to find me if you need help! 

** Stiles ** : Thanks! Same to you, Derek! Bye! 

Just like that, Stiles closes the car's door and walks to his house while Derek starts the car and drives away. Pulls out his phone and looks at the screen, Stiles realizes that it's already past 4:00 in the morning. Feeling the breeze in the air, looking up the sky, Stiles sees the beautiful sunlights peek through the clouds making the sky looks like it's burning with holy flames. Not long ago, Stiles usually laughs at those people who become sentimental at seeing the breaking dawn. But now...after a long night dealing with so much shits, Stiles suddenly understands why people metaphors the breaking dawn as the fresh start! Taking a deep breath to fill his lungs with the fresh breeze air of the new day, Stiles feels so much more contented with himself and feel ready to face with what will come! 

Since his key's door was lost after being kidnapped, Stiles pulls out a spare key hidden under the flower pot in front of the main door to open the main door and then walks through it. Looks around, Stiles feels his eyes filled with tears by the familiar scenes of his home. People really aren't kidding when they said nowhere feels like home! 

Standing motionless in the middle of his living room, tears roll down his cheeks as Stiles breaths in the familiar scents reminded him of home, of childhood, of family, of his dad, and comfort. After the long night of fighting over and against everything...Stiles finally and completely feels safe!

Wiping out his tears, Stiles drags his felt-like-tons body upstairs to his room. Opens and closes the door, Stiles then slowly peels out his clothes and heads to the bathroom. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Stiles sees nothing but bruises and faint pink scars visible all over his body. Tracing those scars with his fingers, despite knowing that those scars will stay on his body for the rest of his life, Stiles honestly...doesn't feel so bad having them. Those are his battle scars and he earned it! They remind him that he has lived through the worst and has lived long enough to witness another sun! 

The only thing in the mirror that Stiles doesn't like is the haunted look in his eyes! This look...shouldn't be on his face! Or on any others 17 years old teenage boy! It just looks wrong to him! This look reminds Stiles that he had lost a part of himself tonight...But what can he say? You had to pay some prices to be alive, right? If this haunted look was the price he has to pay, then Stiles was happy to seal the deal. 

Not so happy with his current look, Stiles calls out for his magic and lets it shines through his eyes. Looking at his reflection through his burning eyes, Stiles can't help but let out a grin! Feeling magic runs through his veins and power thundering inside his blood, Stiles feels...powerful! This...this is the look at Stiles wants to wear for all his life! No more being a sidekick to Scott, no more feeling useless, no more being pushed aside or left behind...From now on, Stiles will write his own story filled with his own adventures led by his own choices! 

Enough with looking at himself in the mirror, Stiles turns on the water and steps under the warm streams. Despite dying to have a long warm shower, Stiles makes it quick. His dad could be home at any minutes and Stiles needs to be ready! 10 minutes and he's done! 

Stepping out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel around his waist, Stiles almost fall on his arse startled by seeing a very unexpected and uninvited guest sitting cross legs on his chair in his own bedroom! Stiles would fight tooths and nails if anyone told him that he let out a very unmasculine scream! NO! Nope! He would never! 

Regains his balances, keeps his hand tightly on his towel, Stiles shouts at his uninvited guest who is, Stiles has to admit, looked very elegant while sitting on his shitty chair:

** Stiles ** : PETER! What the fuck are you doing here? 

At the same time, Stiles asks Itachi through the bonds:

** Stiles ** : Itachi! Why didn't you tell me that Peter is here? 

** Itachi ** : Because you didn't ask me to! Our minds are separate from each other, remember? I couldn't know what you want me to do if you didn't tell me first. 

** Stiles ** : Well...In that case, I'm sorry. But, next time? Please tell me if someone was in my house, okay? 

** Itachi ** : Okay...If you wanted me to! However, I think you should hurry up to put some wards around your house so that you could tell if someone trespassed your territory. 

** Stiles ** : That's what I'm gonna do when I have time! So...Remind me later, okay?

** Itachi ** : Alright! 

Turning his attention back to Peter, Stiles inwardly curses at himself as realizing that he has neglected Peter for talking with Itachi. Now Peter is looking at him suspiciously! Fantastic! He hates his life! 

** Peter ** : Well...Well...Stiles! Are you hiding something from me? 

Setting all of his focuses on Peter, Stiles said:

** Stiles ** : It's none of your business! Now! Back to my question: What are you doing here, in my house, at this hour? 

** Peter ** : Why, Stiles? You wound me! I thought we're friends?...

Stopped by Stiles's unimpressed look, Peter rolls his eyes and said:

** Peter ** : Fine! You're no fun! To answers your question...I'm here to check up on my favourite human packmate! Which is you, by the way! 

** Stiles ** : Oh! Let me tell you...I am the definition of FUN! And why do you need to check up on me? I'm fine! 

Uncrossing his legs and standing up, Peter takes a step forwards Stiles while wipes out his joking face on. Looking at Stiles's eyes with the most serious look, Peter says:

** Peter ** : No, Stiles! You're not fine! Ah...Ah! Before you say anything? Stiles...I'm not blind to see that you have bruises and scars all over your body! 

Immediately brings his hands up to cover his bare chest and torso, Stiles looks at Peter with a defensive look. Ignoring Stiles, Peter continues:

** Peter ** : Besides! Werewolf, remember? I smelled your blood and your lingering pains while we were at the warehouse. You are not fine, Stiles! Therefore, here I am, checking up on you! No matter what monsters you think I am, I actually still have a heart and I do care about your well-being! Remember when I offered you the Bite? Everything I said was true. I did want you to be my Beta! As I said: I like you, Stiles! Well...As a friend, of course! 

Swallowing hard, despite desperate to say something back, Stiles manages to keep his mouth shut from saying nasty things because he is not blind to not see the sincere in Peter's words. Which is really weird! Never has Stiles thought of all people that Peter - the psychopath, the mass murderer - truly cares about his well-being! 

Life is absolutely full of wonders! 

** Peter ** : And Stiles...If you didn't feel comfortable to tell me what or who caused those bruises and scars, just told me so! But don't lie to me! Werewolf, remember?

Takes a deep breath and spares a few seconds to gather himself, Stiles said:

** Stiles ** : Alright! I'm not fine! But I don't wanna talk about it! Happy now? 

** Peter ** : Not really...But I take what I can get! Besides, I will find out eventually! Just so you wait! 

Rolling his eyes, Stiles said:

** Stiles ** : Of course, you will! Now...Since you've done with your monologue, I need to put my clothes on! 

Not waiting for Peter's answers, Stiles has already head to his wardrobe and pulls out some clothes. Heading back to the bathroom to change, not long after that, Stiles steps out fully dressed! Turning around to see that Peter is now lying on his bed, Stiles can't help but rolls his eyes and asks:

** Stiles ** : Okay! Thanks for checking up on me! I really appreciate that! Now, please get lost! 

** Peter ** : Awe! Bored at me already? Fine...Here! Take this and I'll leave! 

With the last word, Peter pulls something out of his pocket and then tosses it to Stiles. Having no agility, Stiles is amazed that he managed to catch whatever Peter tossed to him before it lands to the floor. Holding it in his hand, Stiles realizes that it's a dark glass jar. With a single raised eyebrow, Stiles looks up at Peter and then looks back the jar sceptical. Shrugging, he opens it. Inside the jar, there is some green cream that smelled really good. It's smelled like it was made from a lot of herbs that Stiles couldn't fathom. 

Looking up to Peter, Stiles asks:

** Stiles ** : What is it?

** Peter ** : A cream made from a bunch of herbs mixed with some magical ingredients that would help to reduce your pains, your bruises and even erase your scars. Trust me, it'll work! 

** Stiles ** : Really? Where did you get it? 

** Peter ** : It's a secret, Stiles! Maybe I will tell you if you told me yours! 

** Stiles ** : You wish! Anyway...Thank you! It means a lot!

And Stiles meant it! Stiles has already accepted the fact that he would live with his scars forever! But with this magical cream, Stiles wouldn't have to and it's really meant a lot to him. It also makes Stiles inwardly wants to slap himself upside down for not thinking about using magic to erase his scars. God! He really needs to remember that he has magic now! Also, Being a newbie to magic is suck! 

** Peter ** : You're welcome! 

Stopping suddenly to slightly turns his head aside, Peter looks up to Stiles and says:

** Peter ** : Your father is pulling over the front yard. I should get going! 

** Stiles ** : Okay...See you later! 

** Peter ** : Goodbye, Stiles! 

Jumps out of his window and in the blink of an eye, Peter disappears into his backyard leaving Stiles standing alone in his bedroom. Learning from his mistakes, Stiles closes the windows, takes out some Mountain Ash that he borrowed from Deaton hidden in his nightstand and then wields his magic to seal his windows. Satisfied as seeing the barrier set into place and vanish into the air, Stiles brushes off his hands knowing that from now on, no one could get in his bedroom without his permission! Stiles also makes a mental note to remind him of putting some wards around his house later! Stiles is absolutely gonna ward his house to Hell and back! 

Afterwards, Stiles hears the sound of his dad's cruiser pulling over his front yard. Takes a couple of deep breaths, Stiles stands in his room for few more minutes just to gather himself. Feeling ready, Stiles opens the door and runs downstair only to catch the sight of his dad walk through the main door. Couldn't able to hold back, Stiles throws himself at his dad while speaking breathlessly:

** Stiles ** : Dad...

And just like that, Stiles breaks down...

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	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COVID-19 is going crazy around the world so I would like to say that: please take care of yourself & stay safe everyone!
> 
> Love yall! <3 <3 <3
> 
> \---------------------------------------------------

John Stilinski is restless and frustrated! 

There are just so many things making him feels restless and frustrated that John doesn't know where to begin to describe with. Physically, John knows he is a strong man with black belts and years of experiences of fighting criminals. Before he was elected to be the Sheriff of Beacon Hills, there was a time he joined the military and even fought against terrorists. However, having all of those physical strengths still doesn't help his mentality even a bit! Right now...John is just feeling lost! 

Even before getting married, John & Claudia had always talked about how they want to have their own family with a child or two of their own and then raise them together. They always joked that when they had children, they would become the perfect image of a healthy family that neighbours would gossip and be jealous of. Fortunately, They did...for a while... 

The moment Claudia found out that she was pregnant, John felt like he was the happiest man alive. The 9 months journey of pregnancy of Claudia was the most memorable adventure in his life. Yet, nothing could compare with how he felt as he held a tiny little Stiles in his arms. John still remembered he cried like a child when Stiles held his finger with those tiny fingers of him. That moment, John felt like he was holding the most precious thing ever in his arms. 

Together, The Stilinski was one of the most beloved families in Beacon Hills as him being a Deputy and Claudia as a Literature Teacher in Beacon Hills High School. Those years of working, returning home, cooking dinners together, sharing meals and especially raising Stiles together felt like a dream to him. He felt like he was in cloud nine and he thought they were having their happy ever after...

But all good things must come to an end, their happiness was soon to be cut short as Claudia was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia. John still remembers feeling like his world was turned upside down and shattered to pieces as he held Claudia's diagnosis report in his hand. There was no word to describe how harrowing he felt knowing of Claudia's illness. 

From that day, things got worse...

Claudia was very sick...In the last stages of her illness, she had no memories of him or Stiles - her own son. She even sometimes reacted very aggressively as seeing the sight of Stiles or having him nearby. Even though it killed him inside, John had no choice but admitted her in the long term care of Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. Those time as Claudia stayed in the hospital was rough for him, as he had to take care of Claudia while taking more shifts and overworked in order to pay off the medical bills while also looked after Stiles. He tried as best as he could to serve the county as being the deputy, meanwhile still being a husband Claudia deserved as well as being a father Stiles needed. However, despite all of his efforts, Claudia still couldn't make it...

There was no word to describe how hurt and harrowing he felt when received a phone call from the hospital telling him that his wife had ended her life by throwing herself off the roof of the hospital. John doesn't remember much about this time, all he felt was just numb...

It liked his soul was sucked out of his body and he was watching a doppelganger of him standing motionless at the station dropping down the phone. One thing John still remember is that after regained his conscious, in the moment of weakness, John had wanted to join his wife on the road to the afterlife...Thankfully, he didn't! He just couldn't! He was a husband but he also is a father! He still has a son to take care of, to worry about! A son who just lost his mother at the same time he lost his wife... 

John had always known that Claudia's illness was not only affected him but it affected Stiles too...Ever since Claudia admitted to the hospital, Stiles was always by her side as long as he had time. John still remembers the day when he came back home from work and found Stiles sitting on their sofa with a very heavily file case folder. The moment Stiles saw him walked through the door, he immediately rushed to him and sent out the folder while telling him to read it. 

Inside the folder, there were a bunch of documents and reports and basically, everything you need to know about Frontotemporal Dementia! Until these days, John is still amazed that Stiles could pull off something like this! The folder was not only had information about the symptoms of Frontotemporal Dementia which were described and explained carefully and very detailed; but also informed the stages of the illness which would get progressively worse over time. Stiles even listed every single medicine had been used to treat this illness as well as some supposed helpful things to help Frontotemporal Dementia's patients. This folder also told him what would happen and what to expect from Claudia because of the illness. Only by then, holding the folder, John finally realized how genius his son is. This...this was way too complicated for a 10 years old boy to do. 

Due to the folder, both him & Stiles knew that they might not have much time before Claudia forget them all. Hence, they tried as best as they could to stay with her for the time being. The first few months in the hospital wasn't so bad, Claudia still managed to remember her husband and her son and their memories together. But unfortunately, her illness went downhill so fast that on the next few months, most of the time, Claudia didn't remember any of them. 

Every time Claudia asked who he was, John felt like he was stabbed through the heart. The pain of watching his wife didn't recognize him or Stiles was unbearable...Sometimes he had to excuse himself and went to the restroom to cry. Unlike Stiles, who was stronger than him, no matter how Claudia reacted when she met him or no matter how many times she didn't recognize him, Stiles was always by her side as long as he had time. For the 10 years old Stiles, spending time with his mom was always the best time of his life no matter that Claudia didn't even recognize him. Stiles usually brought some books to the hospital then read it to Claudia, or brought flowers to her, or maybe some colouring books so that they could colour together...

However, those time of them together was sadly ended...

After settled everything involved Claudia's accident with the hospital, John found no one but Stiles, pale as a corpse, curled up in his mother's bed in Claudia's room while silently crying. It killed John watching his son being like this! Knowing that there was no word need to be said, John simply joined Stiles in the bed, held him in his arms and together they cried for hours to mourn the loss of their loved one. 

Losing Claudia was like the end of the world for both of them, and because of the pain was too much to bear, John withdrew of the living and then drown himself in alcohols. First, it was just a bottle to help him lose himself and ease the pain inside his chest. Then...bottles after bottles...Next thing John knew, he was a functioning alcoholic. 

The moment he grabbed a bottle of Borbon Whiskey was undoubtedly the worst choice of his life! Not only he became addicted to alcohol, but he also neglected Stiles. John will never forgive himself for not realizing how traumatized Stiles was after losing his mom and then to be neglected by his own father...John was grieving but to all the sins he made by neglecting his son and let him deal with the traumas on his own, John simply didn't have any excuses! Those months after Claudia's funeral, Stiles had to take care of his father who was drowning himself in bottles of Whiskey while also had to take care of himself by himself... 

Never said a word about his father new coping mechanism, Stiles just silently collected the empty bottles, dumped it to the garbages, picked John up from the floor and then guided him to bed. Those months of living in a blur, John didn't even notice that Stiles - his son - had to do chores around the house to keep it livable, went to buy groceries and learned to cook for both of them so that they had something to eat, had to take a bus to go to school all alone while still able to maintain the perfect scores...Those months, Stiles had to grow up, matured and learned to be an adult while his own  _ adult _ parent faded out of existence. 

Thankfully, Melissa put a stop on it before everything turned worse... 

Until this day, John couldn't describe how much he owned Melissa for stepping her foot down, stopping him from drinking to death and getting his shits together! He would never thank her enough for doing this. One day, she just came to his house, dragged him out of bed then dragged him to the bathroom while he was sweating with alcohol, and then soaked him with cold waters. She spent next hours lecturing him of how failed he was at being a father while dumping all the whiskey bottles in the house to the sink. On the next day, she forced him to sign up to the therapy for both him & Stiles. Not only that, but she also forced him to go to some meetups of an Alcohol Addiction Support Group and stayed with him for all the meetings. 

One thing John needs to say that the therapy & the support group really helped!

In the first sessions of therapy, Stiles was barely talked. They always said that it's going to get worse before it gets better and in Stiles's case? It was true. The therapy had brought out Stiles's worst nightmare of not only losing his mom at a very young age but also hopelessly witnessing her death. Through the sessions, Stiles told the therapist about how his mother died...

That day, Stiles came to the hospital after school to meet his mom, he brought a book written about some mythology creatures that Claudia & Stiles used to so fascinate about. For hours, Stiles read the book for her despite knowing that she didn't even acknowledge him. Stiles wasn't feel bad about it. Really! He knew his mom was sick, he made the folder after all. It was just because of the illness, it was not because of her. It's okay that she stayed silent the whole time, Stiles just wanted to spend time with her and anything else didn't matter. 

Stiles had thought that this day he just read her the book until the sunset and then came home. However, suddenly, Claudia turned back to look at Stiles and told him that she wanted to have some flowers from the hospital's gardens. She asked him to get it for her...And Stiles did! If his mom wanted some flowers, then Stiles would get it! 

Left the room, went to the hospital's gardens, got some beautiful flowers, Stiles turned back to his mother's room only to find out that his mom was nowhere to be seen! Panicked, Stiles immediately warned the nurses and together, they tracked down Claudia and found out she was in the edge of the hospital's roof. Everyone included the nurses and Stiles tried to talk her down, convinced her to step back...but nothing worked. Completely turned the deaf ears to her son's pleading, Claudia threw herself off the roof leaving her son paralyzed in place...

People grieve their losses in their own different ways, but to Stiles, he didn't! He just didn't grieve for his mother. It was because Stiles didn't have time, but mainly, Stiles simply didn't want to. Like father like son, Stiles also had a very unhealthy coping mechanism to deal with his pains and his losses. He just completely blocked out all of his pains, all of his sorrows, bottled it in a tiny box then buried it deep inside his minds! And then never thought about it ever again. Stiles had completely ignored his pains while hoped that it would go away someday...Which it didn't! 

Thankfully, the therapist saw it! 

Over time, sessions after sessions, the therapist helped Stiles to open more and more. Stiles found it hard to talk about his pains and his struggles but over time, he managed. Sometimes between the session, Stiles broke down and had panic attacks but he felt less and less harrowing...There is still a hole in his soul appears every time he remembers his mom, but other than that, Stiles no longer feels like he's gonna shatter to pieces...

Being faced with those pains really had the worst impact in the most negative way at Stiles's mental health and his ADHD. Those months after seeing the therapist, Stiles just couldn't focus at school and he constantly had panic attacks whenever he remembered his mom or someone mentioned her. John, listened to the therapist's suggestion, pulled Stiles out of school and gave him a year break. Thankfully, it all worked out in the ends. After a year of seeing the therapist, Stiles finally felt better and felt good enough to go back to school. Still, being a year older and then came back from a year break didn't feel so bad for Stiles. Really! He finally was able to be in the same class as his best friend after all. 

And for John? The only thing John wanna say about the therapy is that it wasn't a fun experience that he would like to re-experience any time soon! However, the therapy did get help him to get back on his feet, eased some of his pains and stopped his Alcoholism. It also made him realized that he still has a son to take care of. A son that he always wants, a son that was a crystallization from the love of him & Claudia, a son that he had failed in so many ways that John is sure that Claudia would hate him if she watched over him now! There were no excuses for his failure but John knew he still had time to fix it! He will be a better man, a better father for Stiles! 

And John kept his promise! He has never touched a single drop of alcohol ever again while tried as best as he can to be there for Stiles whenever Stiles needed him to. After consulting with the therapist, John set up a weekly dinner that they could have some Father-Son bonding as watching televisions or sports and talking about their lives and works and school. He never missed any Parent-Teacher conferences and came to all of Stiles's sports matches even though Stiles barely played in any of those. 

Unfortunately, this is real life and they had bills to pay! Despite not liking it even a bit, John still had to take more shifts at the station and worked overtime to cover the utility bills and the medical dept while trying to maintain their financial status. Furthermore, although believing that Stiles could get scholarships in the future; However, as an adult & a father, John wants to have enough money to afford any Colleges that Stiles wants to go to without worrying about their financial status. John explained it to Stiles and for someone who is very young, Stiles surprisingly understood the reason why his father couldn't be with him as much as he wants to. 

Yet, Stiles found the way to be closer to his dad by coming to the station every day after school. Before Claudia died, Stiles mostly spent time with his mom and sometimes with Scott & Melissa after school but now, he spent most of his time at the station. The deputies love Stiles! It always amazed John how Stiles could be annoying and entertaining at the same time! And the deputies just love it! Having Stiles around always lightens the mood at the station and John is also thankful to have another hand in babysitting Stiles. 

Eventually, Stiles poked his nose around the station and helped the deputies run some errands, he even sorted out the cases & documents which should be considered as illegal, but if anyone had something to say, they didn't! And Stiles, to be honest, really really loves doing it! 

The feeling of being helpful as helping his dad & the deputies is just marvellous! Not to mention that Stiles is very curious in natures and his minds run in millions of different places at once; Hence, sorting out the cases and piercing intel together to solve crimes really help to settle his ragging minds. It also strengthens their Father-Son relationship because not only they could share everything in their lives at the dinners, but John also, sometimes, shared some information of his cases and asked Stiles about his opinions or just told him what or what not to do in those situations. Surprisingly, or might John say unsurprisingly, Stiles even gave him some new perspectives to solve the cases! 

John could say that their Father-Son relationship is strong and they are very closed! They barely hide anything from each other, even when Stiles hits his purity which John never wants to talk about, ever again, they still share a lot of things! But...It all changed since the last year! 

John honestly doesn't know what happened or what he did wrong but ever since that night in the Preserve, Stiles is just being so...distance! No more Father-Son bonding dinners, no more watching sports together, no more sharing stories about their lives or works or school...John honestly doesn't know what's going on with his son's life anymore! What worried John the most is that he constantly found Stiles at the crime's scenes! And whenever John asked, Stiles just lied to him! He is the Sheriff for reasons, okay? He saw enough criminals and did enough interrogations and he understood his son well enough to know whether if Stiles's lying or not! And Stiles is lying to him about something! 

John has been trying to respect Stiles's privacy, giving him some spaces and thinking that maybe Stiles is just going through some Teenage rebellion's phase...But over times, it gets worse! Their relationship has become so strained after a bunch of lies and reckless activities from Stiles, pushing them to the point that they, now, barely see each other at home. John just can't help to think that is Stiles doing drugs or joining some cults or something? John is not judging! He just wanna know because he worries about his son's well being and wants to help. 

John has planned to confront Stiles and get deep into their issues and fix it, but...tonight...had burned his planned to ashes! 

John wouldn't say that being the Sheriff of Beacon Hills is an easy job...No! No jobs are easy! Every job has its own difficulties and everyone deals with them in different ways. Still, Beacon Hills was used to be a very peaceful town with a low rate of crimes. However...Everything had gone downhill after the Hales died in the flames. 

The Hales was lovely people and it was always a pleasure to work with Talia Hale. She was an excellent attorney and no-nonsense and no bullshits woman who could tear you apart verbally or just simply stared you down with her icy cold eyes...It was really sad when he heard the news of their tragedy. John really doesn't know if there were any connections between the Hale's tragedy and the crime rate but ever since the Hales died, the crime rate of Beacon Hills has been going crazy! A lot of animal attacks, a lot of missing people and even some weird things happened that John couldn't even understand. 

Yet, nothing could compare to the last year! 

The last year is just simply the craziest year of his entire career as a police officer and nothing could top it! A murder case with a corpse cut off in half? A coma patient went missing? A serval animal attacks that tore bodies apart? A mountain lion came to school? A bunch of unsolved murder cases that the killer simply just vanished into thin air? And then the past few months, more of unsolved murder cases that linked to a teenage boy! The worst thing was that half of his deputies was killed by a mysterious serial killer who he didn't even how to track down! And now? Now he has to deal with a livid attorney named David Whittemore because his son's corpse went missing while trying to find his missing son! Who was disappeared and is very much likely being kidnapped! John still doesn't who kidnapped his son on the field but when he finds out? Nothing could stop him from making these bastard's lives living Hell! 

It has been a very long day and he still has no successes in finding his son or Jackson's corpse. Dealing with David Whittemore just pushed his frustrations to the next level while he had no sight of Stiles. After the last 2 hours of suffering as being snapped by their boss, which John couldn't help it, his deputies had had enough and told him to come home, to take some rest, or whatever! Just please don't be at the station anymore! John listened to them then came home. 

As he pulls over his cruiser, John just feels...God! He doesn't know what to think or what to feel anymore! He just...It is just too much! Resting his head on the wheel, feeling the icy cold of the metal under his forehead, John takes a couple of deep breaths to gather himself for a moment. He can do it! He will find out who killed his deputies, will find out who stole Jackson's corpse and he will find Stiles! Nothing is going to happen to his son! John is strong! He can do it! He has to! For his son and his team! 

Feeling just a little bit more okay, John opens the door and get off the car. Heading to the main door, walking past the front yard, John opens the door without noticing that it was opened. He's just too tired to notice anything...Stepping through the door and then closing it behind, John then heard the sound of footsteps running downstair. Immediately pulling out his gun, unlock the safety in the gun, John is one step ahead of firing at anyone invading his house until he sees the one running down! No one but...Stiles! 

Barely having enough time to lock the gun, next thing John knows is the way Stiles's face showing hundred of emotions all at once...From joy to disbelieving, to doubtful, to scare, to pitiful and then all crumbles into...sorrow. It breaks his heart watching his son wearing this face. He knows...knew this face! He had seen it before! This face is the face of those has been through the worst and somehow managed to survive to tell the stories. Those face could be seen on the face of soldiers who have seen so many dead that they lost count, then return to their loved one from battles while carrying the burdens of being the one who survived of which other didn't have a chance...

This kind of face shouldn't...couldn't be on his 17 years sold teenager son! 

Right before John could say or asks anything, Stiles throws himself at him! Couldn't do anything but stand still and be the rock for his son as Stiles's falling apart while crying his soul out in his arms, John has never, in his life, wanted to shoot someone or something more than in this moment! Something happened to his son! He will find out what or who did it to Stiles! And then? There will be Hell to pay! 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------


End file.
